Agentic anxiety
One fascinating part of our conversation1 with Steve Ruiz from tldraw started when he confessed that he feels bad going to bed without his Claudes working on something. I share the feeling. But why?
We analyze it on the pod, but I wanted to jot down some thoughts here as well, if for no other reason but to get it out of my head.
Just one more level…
After talking with tldraw Steve, I read a different Steve’s confession post, AI Vampire, in which he points to one aspect of what’s going on: good ol’ fashion addiction
Agentic software building is genuinely addictive. The better you get at it, the more you want to use it. Itโs simultaneously satisfying, frustrating, and exhilarating. It doles out dopamine and adrenaline shots like theyโre on a fire sale.
Many have likened it to a slot machine. You pull a lever with each prompt, and get random rewards and sometimes amazing โpayouts.โ No wonder itโs addictive.
I first heard the slot machine analogy from Paul Dix. It certainly resonates. But it’s even worse than that. Agentic software is like pulling a slot machine that, with each tooling improvement and model iteration, hands out an increasing number of jackpots. Who wouldn’t pull that lever ad infinitum?!
Yes, addiction is a factor. Putting Claude Code to work feels like a great video game that provokes me to grind a bit longer, beat the next level, and achieve one more thing before joining my family for dinner. But I think there’s something deeper going on here than just excitement / dopamine hits.
FOMO? More like FOBLB…
Fear of missing out is certainly playing a role in our collective propensity to just keep prompting, but it’s not merely missing out that I’m afraid of.
I’ve been playing the software game since ‘04, so I’m no stranger to rule changers and game changers. In fact, my direct path to The Changelog was an effort to keep up with the constant change.
Something’s different this time, and I can say confidently this is the most unsure I’ve ever been about software’s future.
Am I excited? Yes! Am I also fearful? Yes (no ! this time)
FOMO, while accurate, more appropriately describes missing a great concert or a chance to make some cash. This feeling I’m feeling2 bears with it existential dread that FOMO can’t quite represent.
My fear is not missing out. My fear3 is being left behind. There are many external factors piling on to invoke this feeling. I could list them here, but I’m not going to, lol. Founded or not, time will tell. But I’m certainly feeling it.
What’s a dev to do?
(Just keep prompting… Just keep prompting…)
I’m approaching agentic software the same way I’ve approached every other change in the industry over the last two decades:
I dig in.
I build stuff.
I figure it out.
I move up the value chain.
There are moments of excitement. There are moments of existential dread. But my agentic anxiety is mitigated when I’m building stuff. I don’t know if that’s healthy or not, but I do know it’s true.
Much like Steve, I sleep better at night knowing my Claudes aren’t.
Also I’m starting a small tree farm this Spring. Failing to plan is planning to fail. ๐