Sue SmithSep 13, 2025

This is why I believe we're going to need better tools for reading and exploring codebases

"Writing code is easy. Once you have a solution in mind, and have mastered the syntax of your favorite programming language, writing code is easy. Having an LLM write entire functions for you? Even easier. But the hard part isn’t the writing. It’s the reading. It’s the time it takes to load the mental model of the system into your head. That’s where all the cost really is."

https://idiallo.com/blog/writing-code-is-easy-reading-is-hard

Writing Code Is Easy. Reading It Isn’t.

Writing code is easy. Once you have a solution in mind, and have mastered the syntax of your favorite programming language, writing code is easy. Having an LLM write entire functions for you? Even eas

Ibrahim Diallo Blog
Show threadSimeon NedkovSep 13, 2025

@sue I'm yearning for tools like that, especially ones that can show me the blast area of an addition to or a refactor of the code base neighborhood it's applied to. Something along the lines of "I see you updated this thing here, please be aware that you'll also need to update those things over there."

Are you tracking any existing/new tools which meet your vision?

Show threadSue Smith
@simeon Not yet, am hoping some of the ai money will end up being spent on this stuff because it's otherwise totally unsustainable..
Sep 13, 2025 at 12:39pmWeb