I built 3 products in 10 days. I was mentally drained.
Matt Shumer’s latest reflection confirmed what I’ve been feeling lately. Software engineering as a problem space is largely solved. The gap between “idea” and “shipped” has collapsed to hours.
But here’s what nobody is talking about: the human cost of that speed.
When building is this fast, the bottleneck shifts. It’s no longer technical skill. It’s your ability to select the right problem — and your mental capacity to sustain the pace that’s now possible.
This year, AI is moving into law, accounting, even rocket science. One week is long enough to reshape an entire industry. And if we can move this fast, what does “normal pace” even mean anymore?
Three shifts I’m paying attention to:
Problem selection is the new competitive advantage. When execution is commoditized, choosing what to build becomes more important than ever.
Pace yourself — and move to harder problems. When easy things become instant, the existential crisis isn’t “I can’t keep up.” It’s “what’s the point?” The antidote is directing your energy toward problems that still demand you — the ones AI can’t collapse into a weekend.
AI tools awareness is now a core skill. Build or buy? AI agent, pure automation, or web app? Which model, which tech stack, which skills? When execution is fast, choosing the wrong approach doesn’t just waste time — it compounds. The people who thrive will be the ones who know which tool to reach for and when.
We live in a truly amazing time. The only question left is — how can we keep up?