I think I’m becoming a “cracked” engineer ⚡⚡⚡

This past week, I haven’t been able to stay away from my computer.

Not because I had to.

Because I wanted to.

Everything just feels faster, smoother, more possible. And I think I finally have a word for the feeling:

CRACKED ⚡⚡⚡

Not in a negative way. More like that moment in a video game when your character suddenly unlocks new powers—and everything becomes fluid, responsive, and fun again.

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The first “hit” was GitHub Copilot

I first tried GitHub Copilot back in 2021 during the technical preview.

Autocomplete felt magical.

I wasn’t fighting the keyboard anymore. I was just typing… and the code showed up.

I remember feeling this tiny rush every time it completed a function exactly how I would’ve written it.

It felt like the future.

But looking back, that was just the warm-up.

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Now everything feels unblocked

After The Pragmatic Summit, it really clicked:

We’re not just using new tools.

We’re entering a completely different way of working.

With tools like ChatGPT, Claude Code, MCPs, and internal AI agents at Slack, I feel like:

• I can explore ideas instantly
• I can prototype without friction
• I can answer my own questions in seconds
• I can move from idea → implementation much faster
  

And the weird part?

I’m working harder than ever… but it doesn’t feel like work. 💪🏽

It feels like curiosity.

Like play.

Like I just want to keep building.

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The “cracked” feeling

I’ve never tried crack, so I can’t compare directly 😂

But the metaphor feels right.

I can’t stop prompting.

I can’t stop iterating.

I can’t stop thinking of new things to build.

The loop is so addictive:

Idea → prompt → output → refine → ship

It’s incredibly satisfying. And again, very addictive.

For the first time in a long time, it feels like:

The only real limit is my imagination.

And that’s a wild place to be as an engineer.

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The irony: the best tools make you work more

One theme from the summit stuck with me:

Adoption ≠ impact.

Many teams have 90%+ AI usage, but little organizational transformation.

But on the individual level, something else is happening.

The engineers who really embrace these tools aren’t slowing down…

They’re speeding up.

They’re:

• building more side projects
• automating more of their work
• prototyping faster than ever
• relearning how to be engineers
  

In some ways, the most AI-enabled engineers I know are also the most energized.

They’re not coasting.

They’re cracked.

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The balance question

Of course, this probably isn’t sustainable forever.

At some point I’ll need better boundaries:

• when to stop prompting
• when to log off
• when “good enough” is actually enough
  

But for now, I’m leaning into the feeling.

Because this moment in tech feels rare.

Like an age of exploration.

And I don’t want to sleep through it.

If you’re feeling this too, you’re not alone.

We’re all relearning how to do our jobs.

And honestly… I kind of love it. 🚀

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The Super Sonic analogy ⚡️

This whole “cracked engineer” feeling reminds me of Sonic.

In the games, Sonic becomes Super Sonic after collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds. He turns gold, moves insanely fast, and suddenly everything feels effortless.

But the form is temporary.

It drains rings constantly.

And when the rings run out, he goes back to normal.

AI tools feel a bit like those Chaos Emeralds.

Once you’ve gathered enough of them—ChatGPT, Copilot, agents, prompts, workflows—you enter a new mode where everything moves faster and ideas turn into reality almost instantly.

But it takes energy to sustain. You still need:

• focus
• rest
• boundaries
• good engineering judgment
  

Otherwise, you burn through your rings and drop back to normal speed.

Right now, though?

I’m definitely in Super Sonic engineer mode. ⚡️💪🏽