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Ask HN: How do you get into a flow state when using AI to code?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a flow state when using AI to code?

#51

Post by rbartelme »

jlos wrote: post #40

(1) Spending time building a plan. I have lots of artifacts like diagrams, tables, web pages that help me think through all the details quickly. Get code snippets to reduce uncertainty, get options for architectural decisions, flesh out assumptions. Main thing is (1) how do I verify the agent hits the happy path and (2) how can I elicit and clarify assumptions it might make. Then follow up the build with exploring an…

Yeah, I definitely do something similar with my personal projects.

I come from more of a hardware & environmental engineering background and we were always taught that projects were iteratively built via Design, Build, Test, Learn cycles.

I drive the Design and basic skeleton of the build (pseudocode or boilerplate), then pass off the rest of the Build and Test to the agent. I pick up after the test and read the agent commits/notes, then write up next steps. Repeat DBTL. Maybe spin a few features out at a time in parallel depending on how much time I want to devote to reviewing new project features later in the day.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a flow state when using AI to code?

#53

Post by ASalazarMX »

marmarama wrote: post #13

Here's the neat thing: you don't. I've tried, and I feel like I've got closer with faster models, but ultimately the agentic loop excludes you. Even if you're asking the agent to do simple short tasks, it's still: prompt, wait, wait, wait, check, and you never really feel like you're the one in control. The problem with faster models is also that they're more stupid, so that additionally breaks your flow when you hav…

Getting in the flow means continuous, deep concentration and attention, at least in my experience. Prompting and checking is more like managing an underling, I couldn't get in the flow that way. It would be like a driver trying to get in the flow with a vehicle that randomly does unexpected things.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a flow state when using AI to code?

#54

Post by bluGill »

As a Staff level engineer, a large part of my job is taking interruptions from others. I also do a lot of code reviews, design meetings and the like. Which is to say I have only rarely been in the flow anyway. I just more/better code written these days just because the AI can be in the flow while I'm answer those things. However I have even more code to review because the AI needs constant "this is a bad design" prompts.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a flow state when using AI to code?

#55

Post by kot-behemoth »

chipsrafferty wrote: post #35
marmarama wrote: post #13

Here's the neat thing: you don't. I've tried, and I feel like I've got closer with faster models, but ultimately the agentic loop excludes you. Even if you're asking the agent to do simple short tasks, it's still: prompt, wait, wait, wait, check, and you never really feel like you're the one in control. The problem with faster models is also that they're more stupid, so that additionally breaks your flow when you hav…

I want something that works in the background, checking my work as I code, running tests and making suggestions... Without being obstrusive. Like a pair programmer.

I recently found llm-buddy (https://github.com/ahyatt/llm-buddy) which might be a good fit.

Llm-buddy is an “Emacs package that watches your recent buffer edits and asks an LLM to review them. When it finds something worth pointing out, it can add a short inline note in the relevant buffer or show a message in a popup buffer (it usually does the former).

The goal is lightweight feedback while you work: typos, logic mistakes, questionable edits, or prose issues that a normal compiler, linter, or spell checker may not catch.”

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a flow state when using AI to code?

#58

Post by jonnyasmar »

Alonski wrote: post #21

I reach the same flow state by multitasking across multiple tasks in multiple repos. I can hold my own context across 5-10 different terminal tabs each running their own Claude code or pi. Watching Claude especially with sub agents is like watching paint dry.

Since I built my own dev tool to allow me to better organize and manage multiple sessions, I've found my flow state hits when I've got agents staggering to completion. Conversation with one, wrap it up, send my response, and another one finishes. I currently have 49 agent sessions open in atrium and when I'm grinding, 5-15 are going at a time. If I get em all onto longer horizon tasks, I start to comb through other sessions to pick up parked conversations.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a flow state when using AI to code?

#59

Post by verdverm »

Keeping an IDEAS.md or SCRATCH.md, which I work on while reviewing changes / code / docs, and it is working on other things.

I tend to focus on on project at a time with multiple agents, rather than agents on multiple project, and then time slice myself across projects

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