AI is not a replacement for learning to code
With the launch of CodeFast, I've received lots of questions about using Cursor, V0, or Bolt to code.
Using AI to code without knowing how to code is like buying a Ferrari without knowing how to drive.
AI can give you a feeling of progressing super fast because you can build an entire landing page using English.
But the moment you have a bug or want something specific, you won't be able to connect the dots and get stuck in the AI loop.
Coding is easier than ever, but there's no cheat sheet:
Learn the basics of coding first (use AI to explain everything)
Then use AI to code faster
Source: https://x.com/marc_louvion/status/1866864274477552050
I taught myself to code a few years after graduating college with an English degree. The thing I tell most non-technical people debating whether to use no-code/AI tools vs learning to actually code is that learning to code teaches you fundamentally new ways of thinking and reasoning, not just superficial methods for manipulating website elements on user interfaces.
It teaches you that "simple" actions on the screen break down into complex step-by-step operations, and that you need to be able to think in terms of those step-by-step operations. It teaches you the value of creating abstractions — e.g. JavaScript functions — to package up complexity in a way that other people — including yourself when you visit your own code base later — will be able to reason about and modify. And it teaches you how to look at other people's finished web apps/sites with a true intuition about how it was built and how you might build it better.
If you don't allow a coding education to change the way you think, you won't only be a less capable engineer, you'll also be a less capable person.