From Devon C. Estes · · 2m
Bad Ideas That Aren't Bad Anymore
AI tools are fixing old tech mistakes, making outdated practices work better.
In brief
AI tools are fixing old tech mistakes, making outdated practices work better. Software leader Devon C. Estes says AI tools are making common tech practices like code reviews and deep expertise less risky, changing how teams work. Originally reported by Devon C. Estes.
My 15 years of tech experience
I’ve worked in software for 15 years, learning from mistakes and others’ errors to solve technical and non-technical problems.
Code review changed
We stopped human code reviews and now use ai to open prs, with engineers merging their own work after ai checks.
Why code review works now
The ai reviewer finds small bugs better than humans, while the engineer who owns the ticket understands the problem best.
Splitting teams across streams
We split work into separate streams, letting each person own one stream without knowledge silos.
Why splitting works
Claude helps jump into others’ work quickly, reducing context switching time from days to minutes.
Deep expertise is less valuable
Deep tech expertise is less valuable now that ai can answer questions faster than humans.
What’s more valuable now
Strong engineering fundamentals and product knowledge are now more important than deep tech expertise.
Other ideas I’m side-eyeing
Rewriting from scratch, building tools, and testing in production are now less risky with ai.
What I got wrong
My gut felt things were bad ideas because of high costs, but ai has changed those costs.
The cost of intuition
My 15 years of intuition for tech decisions is now giving bad answers more often than before.
What’s next
I’m trying to ask what the cost is before deciding if something is a bad idea, to let teams prove me wrong.
Adapting is key
Leaders who can adapt and learn faster will do better than those with more experience.
The real change
ai tools are changing how teams work, making outdated practices work better without the risks they once had.
What matters now
The ability to adapt and learn new skills faster matters more than having the most experience.
The lesson
When intuition tells you something is a bad idea, ask what the cost is and whether it still exists.
The future
Teams that test ideas quickly and adapt will thrive in ai-driven tech environments.
What matters most
Software leader Devon C. Estes says AI tools are making common tech practices like code reviews and deep expertise less risky, changing how teams work.
