26 Jan 2026 #coding
When code breaks, you can’t simply say, “AI did that.”
You’re responsible for the code you ship. That’s been true from the days of copy-pasting from forums, blog posts, StackOverflow, and now from AI.
AI is fast, but over-reliance makes you lose your mental models and context—just one problem with AI.
The new rule
To protect my skills, I’ve set one rule: Don’t let AI touch your code directly. It might feel unproductive. But it keeps my hands on the wheel.
To test this rule, I recently tried finishing a task using as much AI as possible. While going through the AI-generated code, I came up with another rule:
If I write the code, AI reviews it. And if AI generates the code, I review it.
That way, I use AI while keeping my code writing and reading sharp. Either way, AI is just like a copilot in the cockpit, an extra layer of safety and productivity.
AI is changing the act of coding. Some brag about coding without typing a single line of code, thanks to Claude Code. Whether what AI generates is clean code or garbage, its CEOs aren’t accountable for it. We are.
If you want to sharpen the skills AI can’t replace, check out Street-Smart Coding. It’s the guide I wish I’d had on my journey to becoming a senior coder.
25 Jan 2026 #misc
Books only matter if you act on them.
The first step is to highlight, underline, or write in margins.
The next step is to take notes. The problem is copying passages without processing them (or letting AI do it). The Zettelkasten method (and my tweaked version) solves that by finding connections between notes.
But today I found another note-taking idea: The 7-word summary.
After a chapter or section, or a whole book, write a 7-word summary. That forces you to condense big ideas into your words.
Tip: For better organization, keep your 7-word summaries in a single place.
That’s a perfect partner to a 10-idea list.
24 Jan 2026 #misc
Two days ago, I decided it was time to reduce my phone use.
I left books where I used to put my phone: desk, couch, and table. Instead of reaching for my phone, now I find myself opening The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle or Jesus’ Son by Dennis Johnson.
Yesterday, I paused on my way to my desk to grab my phone. Midway, I realized my phone wasn’t there anymore. That’s a habit being replaced.
Today, I thought carefully about when I needed my phone. And it was easier to read with books nearby. I even left it behind for a quick errand.
Big changes start with small actions. Mine began with swapping screens for pages.
23 Jan 2026 #mondaylinks
Hey there!
This week I’m relaunching my C# unit testing intro book.
During the holidays, I revamped Unit Testing 101 with clearer chapters, tighter explanations, and a fresh design.
If you already bought it, you should have received the new version. Otherwise, grab it here.
Now, this week’s 4 interesting links:
#1. StackOverflow feels dead. Maybe a victim of its own success. And we were never good programmers (5min).
#2. AI is turning software (and coding) into fast fashion (6min). “Software is no longer seen as an asset… It’s a throw-away product. Like a napkin.”
#3. New to a codebase? Push the smallest possible change to production (3min), even a README tweak.
#4. Cool tool of the week: maptoposter. Turn your favorite city map into a beautiful poster.
Beyond coding, I wrote on my blog about how I use LinkedIn mindfully (3min) and why you’re still hungry after eating and how to fix it (3min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… the new version of Unit Testing 101. OK, I already told you about that. Check Street-Smart Coding: 30 lessons to help you code like a pro. From Googling to clear communication, it covers the lessons you don’t learn in tutorials. It’s now out on Kindle and paperback on Amazon.
See you next time,
Cesar
22 Jan 2026 #misc
I tell myself I’m not addicted to my phone. That’s exactly what addicts say.
This week, I averaged 2h39min on my phone. Today, it was 1h55min. I just checked it. That’s enough to produce some creative work.
In my defense, I only listened to podcasts while doing the dishes. But most of that time was scrolling to find what to listen to.
This year, my intention is simplicity: ditching my distraction machine to live lighter.
Replacing a bad habit with a good one
For that, I’m putting my phone out of sight, in a new place.
And in every place where I used to put my phone, I’m leaving a book and a zine instead.
This week, a rabbit hole took me to Austen Kleon’s rules of reading. He made a zine, a tiny magazine with eight pages created from a single sheet of paper.
And when you want to buy a red car, you see red cars everywhere. Today I discovered zines for free-form journaling and single-purpose notebooks. Credit goes to Cal Newport’s podcast for the notebook idea. Yes, I was doing the dishes.
What if I combine the two ideas? Maybe one zine per day for quotes and lessons. And another per project for ideas and questions.
That’s how I’m replacing scrolling with reading and even making my own zines.
If you want to follow along, here are the books I read last year. Perfect replacements for where your phone used to sit.