Donāt be a shoveler.
Itās easy to dismiss big tech changes at first. The advantages are clear but the disadvantages are also very clear. But itās not just about right here and right now, itās also about whatās next.
Today, AI is like the introduction of heavy equipment for construction. The advantages were obvious but the initial drawbacks were huge. It took time, but today you wouldnāt even consider starting an excavation business without heavy equipment. The benefits are just too obvious.
Several industries are going through this same kind of power law change because of AI and itās happening at a breakneck pace.
For example, I said to someone yesterday that itās entirely reasonable to assume that 6 months from now the base frontier models will be better software engineers than I ever will be. Saying that hit me like a sack of bricks š§±
But, staying as just an engineer would make me a shoveler. I donāt want to be a shoveler. I want to be an operator. I want to wield great power with precision and effeciency thatās never been seen before. The future as an operator in software engineering is still developing, slowly but surely like an old polaroid. Iām excited to see how that picture comes out.
Moral of the story is:
Donāt be a shoveler, be an operator.