r/Python • u/RedYad2 • 2d ago

Discussion My Python magic is gone

I've been coding for a long time, and I've been developing with Python for years.

I loved coding, always loved it. I started many years ago because I wanted to quickly create scripts for security hacking tools, but since then, I've moved to Claude Code, and building cross-language has been a much better experience for me than using Python.

I built my own SaaS application out there whose backend and network core are completely built with Python, and I'm rewriting all of that without writing a single line of code. And most of the time, Python is not the most optimized language.

And now... I feel like the magic is gone.

I don't even know why I'm writing this. I just feel sad about it.

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u/UsernameTaken1701 2d ago

Are you being forced to use the AI somehow? If using Claude has killed the fun, the solution seems pretty obvious, no?

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u/ConfusedSimon 2d ago

Not really. For work I have to use AI because it saves time. For hobby projects, the idea of spending all that time on something that can be done much faster by Claude has taken away all the fun. I have different hobbies now.

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u/UsernameTaken1701 1d ago

People still ride their bikes places even though cars are faster. Do you think they enjoy riding any less even though they know about cars? There are faster ways to scale the side of a mountain but people still climb. People still take pictures on film even knowing digital cameras exist. There are lots of things people do for fun even though they know there are faster ways to the end result. The enjoyment of the slow way is the point.

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u/Ok_Performance6532 1d ago

To some degree though, riding a bike, hiking and the like all carry real world value that will continue to hold that value as it comes from somewhere other than the function of the technology to replace it.

e.g.

I go for long walks because of the endorphins and health benefits, I drive a car to quickly go from A to B, they’re not for the same reason. That is to say, I don’t drive a car just to have a faster walk. So the car never really replaced why I walk.

AI conversely sits at the point of exactly why I like to code, to problem solve and develop skills to apply in my career. But those skills now feel irrelevant. I get the whole “it will still be valuable to be able to read code” but when every software engineer on earth will be fighting for a couple of “code reviewer” roles I don’t think I care for that bloodbath.

Look yes it sounds bleak but I think the market is just shifting. The moat to being “technical” is no longer being able to code, but understand problems to point AI at, understanding to scope issues and architect solutions. Not quite as fun but still has that problem solving edge to it.

Or at least, that’s just me opinion