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Ask HN: Do you struggle with flow state when using AI assisted coding tools?

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Ask HN: Do you struggle with flow state when using AI assisted coding tools?

#1

Post by rasca »

It's been extremely difficult for me to achieve a flow state while using tools like `claude code` because I have to wait after every interaction. I get easily distracted, my mind wonders and I find myself reading HN and browsing the internet.

I'm more productive in most of the tasks I need to do but in some of these detours I loose long periods of times without even noticing. I've tried keeping the console open and reading through the AI agent process but that gets me nervous after a few interactions.

I also don't enjoy it as much. I don't get the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a new feature and everything feels fragmented.

Even using multiple sessions doesn't do the trick for me because I need to change task context every time. Does this happen to anyone else? Any recommendations?

How do you think we can achieve flow state while in this transition period while AI coding still needs constant hand holding and reviews?

Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle with flow state when using AI assisted coding tools?

#2

Post by rickcarlino »

This is not going to fix the problem, but it might help some: install the ntfy.sh app on your phone and then add a Claude hook to curl a notification to ntfy when a command completes. It’s not a perfect solution but it helps avoid distraction to some extent.

Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle with flow state when using AI assisted coding tools?

#3

Post by rasca »

rickcarlino wrote: post #2

This is not going to fix the problem, but it might help some: install the ntfy.sh app on your phone and then add a Claude hook to curl a notification to ntfy when a command completes. It’s not a perfect solution but it helps avoid distraction to some extent.

Thanks, I'm currently on OS X, is there a terminal that has this built in?

Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle with flow state when using AI assisted coding tools?

#4

Post by sirwhinesalot »

No, I'd say they actually help me stay in flow. The autocomplete mode takes care of annoying boilerplate (mostly) and if I'm stuck on something the chat mode can often provide a suggestion that helps me unstuck (even if not usable directly). These two help me keep the state on for longer.

Agent mode just produces dogshit that takes me longer to clean than if I wrote it myself to begin with. I don't use that.

Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle with flow state when using AI assisted coding tools?

#6

Post by rasca »

sirwhinesalot wrote: post #4

No, I'd say they actually help me stay in flow. The autocomplete mode takes care of annoying boilerplate (mostly) and if I'm stuck on something the chat mode can often provide a suggestion that helps me unstuck (even if not usable directly). These two help me keep the state on for longer. Agent mode just produces dogshit that takes me longer to clean than if I wrote it myself to begin with. I don't use that.

Fair enough, but for most frontend or UI/UX tasks I do you claude code which is similar to Agent mode and that's when I have these constant interruptions in the flow. I believe this will be worse in the near future as agents become more powerful.

Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle with flow state when using AI assisted coding tools?

#8

Post by ab71e5 »

whalesalad wrote: post #7

> I get easily distracted, my mind wonders and I find myself reading HN and browsing the internet. This is a challenge to conquer, irrespective of whether or not you are using ai-assisted code editors or not.

Not OP but I have the same problem. I've found some things just work better for me, like using (neo)vim (or emacs I guess) instead of something like vscode helps me stay in the zone more.

Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle with flow state when using AI assisted coding tools?

#10

Post by donatj »

Honestly, I get sooo bored just watching it do all the things.

There's simply no "flow state" when you're not the one doing the work, not the one reasoning.

I have loved almost every minute of my 20+ years as a developer, and the biggest thing agentic coding has achieved is suck the fun out of it.

I am bored for the first time in my career.

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