As a project lead, I have worked on dozens of projects and 100s of contractors. Contractors have ranged from brilliant and productive to struggling incompetents. In almost every case, I worked with teams I was given and had no say in the hiring process. A typical case when management thinks they know better than their tech lead.

I very much believe that comprehensive domain knowledge and technical proficiency are both essential. Actual code production can be mostly delegated. If AI produces better quality code than the contractors available to you, then it is the preferable option.

IMHO a small team of experienced engineers using AI is the optimal choice.

Vibe-coded startups without competent technical oversight is tech-debt on steroids.

[dead]