I used to write code with an LLM, but now I'm actively trying to switch to writing it by hand. Why? The answer is simple: I've noticed that I'm getting dumber at programming.

I write code for myself and for my brain nowadays.

Deliberately designing something myself, seeing how shit it is, and then refactoring is the way I learn.

At work I vibe code. I design the API, I tell it use this set of tools, this pattern for the frontend, use go with stdlib for the backend, and use sqlc for the database repo code. Write out a dockerfile and make commits using conventional commits. I'm opinionated, because I've coded by hand.

That's not to say coding with AI agents doesn't develop your opinions and your "reasoning" when coding with AI though. There's obv something to learn about context management and the specificity / broadness of your prompt.

But beyond it being just better for your brain and reasoning, coding by hand is just fucking amazing. I get so much joy from just coding something by hand and seeing it work. Owning the process end to end. From designing the architecture, to writing the code, to deploying it myself. From building the CI pipeline to writing the API definition there's so much joy in building software.