hmm - I think we care about the same problems you do ("software I use day to day is just getting worse and worse"). and pandora's box is already open with getting AI to write code - it's just so much faster than us.

but i think being a "good software engineer" was never really about the writing code part though - it was in the craft of designing systems, making sure that they were designed thoughtfully and are extensible etc.

fwiw Whiteboard is our stab at helping to fix this problem. we put a lot of effort into the diff viewer, tying the diagrams into the actual code, etc. so you can make sure you're not shipping slop. the point is to not have the agent "explain" it to you with a wall of slop, but instead to give you the tools so the diffs themselves feel approachable. the Whiteboard surface is meant as a springboard into the code underneath.

At least spiritually, this tool is definitely NOT meant for folks to let go of understanding the code. It's meant at tackling precisely the opposite problem - understanding the code still while still working with your agents.