Spending 3 months coding by hand
miguelconner.substack.com
April 17, 2026
9 min read
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64/100
Summary
A coding retreat in Brooklyn focuses on hand-coding without the use of AI for three months. The initiative aims to explore programming techniques at a time when many believe programming challenges are largely resolved.
Key Takeaways
- The author is spending three months coding without AI to focus on learning and understanding the codebase better.
- The author previously worked at Aily Labs, where they built AI agents and led a journal club discussing open-source LLMs.
- The Recurse Center in Brooklyn offers a self-directed programming retreat that is collaborative and free for participants.
- The author aims to train an LLM from scratch during their time at the Recurse Center.
Coverage & discussions
Hacker News · miguelconner.substack.com
Community discussions
Hacker News discussion ↗
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Analysis ready
Community Sentiment
Positives
- Spending three months coding by hand fosters deep skills that are likely to be valuable long-term, contrasting with the often mechanical nature of AI-generated code.
- The coding retreat experience is described as a joyful and enriching journey, highlighting the importance of immersive learning environments for skill development.
- Engaging with assembly programming provides a unique perspective on coding fundamentals, which can enhance understanding of modern programming languages.
Concerns
- Reliance on AI-generated code can lead to a lack of enjoyment and satisfaction in programming, as it often feels tedious and mechanical.
- The shift from manual coding to AI-assisted coding may result in a loss of deep engagement with the craft, similar to the transition from assembly to higher-level languages.
