To keep AI coding assistants from running amok, developers must learn to write good specs and develop product management skills.

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AI coding assistants require developers to adopt management skills rather than just technical expertise. Success depends on writing clear specifications, defining boundaries, and providing structured context—treating AI like managing a junior developer. The shift demands developers become "context architects" who translate business requirements into precise technical constraints, while maintaining code ownership to prevent expertise decay. A spec-driven approach with explicit objectives, non-goals, boundaries, and acceptance criteria is emerging as the standard practice for effective AI-assisted development.

AI coding requires developers to become better managers