The Executive-Coder Experiment: Returning to Code with GenAI After 7 Years

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2024-11-21 20:00:04

Actually, that’s a lie! I did spend two hours three years ago helping a friend with Google Sheets automation. Total time around code, even reading it? Less than 20 hours in five years.

At the same time, I am what you might call a tech native. I’ve been programming since I was 10. For 20 years, I’ve lived and breathed engineering, whether writing complex Scala code or designing geographically distributed systems that tangle intimately with the CAP theorem.

I lean on my technical background frequently in leadership work—whether setting tech strategy, sparring on architecture proposals, or defining post-mortem standards.

As a CTO leading sizable organization, my role is centered on strategic initiatives and organizational leadership, leaving no time for coding myself. It is, however, my responsibility to understand engineering work, and coding is at the heart of it.

I’ve been following Generative AI developments closely for the last two years. I’ve also been using ChatGPT regularly, mostly for writing support and research.