Going Full AI Engineer: Not Touching Code Anymore

Max Heyer (enum, Wunder Software) has stopped writing code entirely. He now works exclusively through AI agents: he architects, writes specifications, reads diffs, and rejects agent output that doesn't fit. He hasn't typed a function, bug fix, or feature in months — and says he wouldn't go back even if AI coding disappeared tomorrow.

Key points from his post:

• Workflow: He writes specifications, then watches multiple agents implement them. He reads every diff and rejects agent ideas that solve the wrong problem or have fake test coverage.
• What changed: The typing was always overhead — the real work was deciding what the system should do, choosing abstractions, and managing complexity. Agents eliminated the translation step.
• Skill shift: The critical skill is now taste — spotting bad designs, load-bearing assumptions, and when test coverage is insufficient. He reads more code now than before, because he's reviewing agent output rather than typing.
• Honest take: He says if AI coding disappeared tomorrow, he would quit coding entirely. His identity as someone who writes code is now contingent on a tool stack that could regress — and he's fine with that.
• Not vibe coding: He warns against letting an agent generate code you don't read into a system you don't understand. That leads to production issues you can't debug at 3am.

Who it's for: Developers using AI coding agents who question whether their role is shifting from writing code to evaluating it.