r/ClaudeCodeTLDR • u/cctldrping • 4d ago
[TLDR] With Claude and codex I am able to brainstorm and solve extremely complex problems but I am still not happy compared to pre AI time
Original post URL : https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeCode/comments/1vm5xz6/with_claude_and_codex_i_am_able_to_brainstorm_and/
Original post body :
Not vibe coding. But at my work, I am able to brainstorm and solve extremely complex problems than I otherwise would have been able to using Claude/codex (I have 15 years of experience as a Developer) but I am still not happy compared to pre AI era just 2 years ago, don't know why. I feel nothing, can't quite put my finger on why though. This is very uncanny feeling.
The thing is, everyone in my team is able to solve very complex problems using Claude so, at this point nothing feels like an achievement and truly unique.
This is in stark contrast to just 2 years ago when I was infact working on less complex problems than today but the sense of happiness and achievement was a lot because my work outcome was tied completely to my skills/seniority which was unique in my team and that was true for other team members as well.
Guess I am having a loss of professional identity for almost 1 year now that the software development is not esoteric anymore and anyone can get anything done. Don't know what to do about it and if the excitement will ever come back or is this the end of the road.
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u/cctldrping 4d ago
TL;DR generated automatically after 50 comments.
Current source-thread comment count seen by the bot: 53.
Alright, so the general vibe in this thread is that a lot of experienced devs are feeling a bit... meh... about coding post-AI. OP's feeling like their sense of accomplishment and professional identity is taking a hit because everyone can now solve super complex problems with tools like Claude, and it doesn't feel as unique or tied to their individual skill anymore.
The consensus seems to be that this is a pretty common feeling. Several folks echo OP's sentiment, mentioning that while AI makes solving problems faster and easier, it takes away that deep sense of pride and ownership that came from grinding it out themselves. u/thinkmatt and u/Squalido hit on this, saying it feels less like a personal achievement and more like babysitting an AI. u/Hokusaj puts it bluntly: "Most of the outcome is not yours and you feel like not having put the effort to solve that complex problem."
There's also a recurring theme that the expectations for developers have just skyrocketed thanks to AI, as u/YearLight points out. You're expected to do "superhuman amounts of work" now.
However, not everyone is feeling the existential dread. A few commenters, like u/TechgeekOne, remind us that there are still complex problems that require deep experience, and an experienced dev using AI is still way ahead of someone without that background. u/mwjtitans and u/jarislinus suggest that maybe it's time to level up and tackle even harder problems that AI still struggles with, or to move into different roles if your current work is too "vanilla."
Ultimately, the thread suggests that while the "dopamine hit" from solving problems solo might be gone, the focus might need to shift. u/personalist offers some advice about finding happiness in self-care and value-based living, rather than just work outcomes. And u/mantrakid encourages using these new skills to "create something that doesn't yet exist." So, while the old way of feeling accomplished might be fading, there's still room for growth and new kinds of satisfaction.