Curiosity Matters More Than Ever

It’s hard not to feel behind right now. The pace of change in software engineering—driven largely by AI—is staggering. How I write code today is different than it was two months ago, and I know it’ll be different again two months from now. That’s exhilarating. And daunting. Not because I’m chasing every new tool or breakthrough, but because something deeper is shifting.

For the first time in a long while, I feel pulled back into the craft itself. I’m more energized about writing software than I’ve been in years. There's a renewed sense of possibility—like the ground is opening up, not falling out from under us.

It reminds me of the first time I saw Ruby on Rails. I still remember watching that original demo and thinking: This is going to change everything. This feels like that. But bigger.

Everyone Feels the Speed

That excitement can easily tip into anxiety. The tools are evolving fast, and the ground keeps shifting beneath us. It’s easy to assume everyone else is already fluent in this new world while you’re still trying to find your footing.

But here’s the truth: nobody feels fluent. Everyone I know—junior and senior alike—is still experimenting, adjusting, trying to understand where this is going. This isn’t just another framework or language. It’s a transformation in how we work. And it’s happening in real time, with no clear roadmap.

You’re not behind—as long as you’re paying attention. This shift isn’t something to wait out. It’s something to engage with. Not everything will stick, but ignoring it entirely means missing the moment. The ground is moving, and the engineers who stay curious and adaptive will move with it.

Curiosity Is Still the Edge

Curiosity isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about staying awake. It’s what draws you toward the unexpected, the confusing, the not-quite-right. It’s the impulse to ask why is it like this? instead of just accepting what’s on the surface.

In this moment, that impulse matters more than ever. When the answers come easy, the real work becomes knowing what to ask for in the first place.

AI can help you move faster—but curiosity tells you where to look, what to question, what to care about. Without it, speed becomes noise.

Curiosity and attention are linked. The engineers who are paying attention—really paying attention—will notice how the work is changing. They’ll adapt, not by memorizing prompts, but by thinking more clearly about the problems they’re solving. They’ll build systems that reflect thought, not just output.

Thinking and Articulation Still Win

The ability to think clearly and express yourself precisely has always been part of the path from junior to senior engineer. It’s how you move from just solving the problem in front of you to shaping systems, guiding teams, and making long-term decisions.

That same skill set now has a new audience: your AI tools.

These systems are helpful—but only as helpful as your inputs. They take direction well, sometimes too well. If your framing is off, or your assumptions are flawed, they won’t push back. They’ll double down. That’s why deep thinking and careful articulation matter more, not less, in this moment.

Speed without clarity is chaos. And we’ve never had more tools to go fast. But fast work is only useful when it’s headed in the right direction. That still takes human judgment. It takes someone who can pause, zoom out, and see how today’s decisions shape tomorrow’s system.

Staying Sharp

Staying sharp right now doesn’t mean mastering every new tool or riding every wave. It means staying engaged. Staying curious. Paying attention to what’s changing—and what hasn’t.

The core practices of good engineering haven’t disappeared. They’ve been put under a new kind of pressure. And the engineers who keep growing in this moment won’t be the ones who know all the tricks. They’ll be the ones who keep thinking deeply, articulating clearly, and adapting with intention.