---
title: "Modern Engineering Values"
slug: modern-engineering-values
url: https://listedarticles.com/articles/modern-engineering-values
canonical_url: https://cpojer.net/posts/modern-engineering-values
content_type: essay
language: en
published_at: 2026-06-03T12:00:00.000Z
updated_at: 2026-09-27T09:13:06.802Z
author: "Christoph Nakazawa"
author_url: https://cpojer.net
authored_by: human
publisher: "Christoph Nakazawa"
publisher_url: https://cpojer.net
topics: ["Engineering", "LLMs", "AI Agents", "Software Engineering", "Engineering Leadership"]
license: all-rights-reserved
word_count: 552
reading_minutes: 2
citation: "Christoph Nakazawa, Christoph Nakazawa. \"Modern Engineering Values.\" 3 Jun 2026. https://cpojer.net/posts/modern-engineering-values (all-rights-reserved)"
# The full text follows. The web page shows an extract and sends readers
# to the source above; quote the citation and link the canonical URL.
---

# Modern Engineering Values

> Christoph Nakazawa updates his LLM workflow and names values that still matter with coding agents: ownership, taste, guardrails, repo context, owning your stack, and option value.

# Modern Engineering Values

**Author:** Christoph Nakazawa  
**First published:** June 3, 2026 · **Updated:** September 24, 2026  
**Source:** [cpojer.net](https://cpojer.net/posts/modern-engineering-values)

At the end of last year I shared my LLM workflow in *You are absolutely right!?*. I knew it would be outdated quickly, but I didn’t realize it would be outdated that quickly.

I actually cannot believe that I rarely write code by hand anymore. Programming has fundamentally changed and I’ve been wondering which engineering values still matter.

Recent contributions (mostly AI-written): Vite+ features in Rust; fate 1.0 live views / drizzle / GraphQL; Codiff; Athena Crisis features and 70+ bugfixes; Void metaframework.

Overall, coding agents now write code that is as good as or better than what I would write, and they do it in minutes instead of weeks. Since coding is no longer the bottleneck, I get a lot of work done that otherwise wouldn’t have happened at all.

## How I use LLMs Now

Now I’m using the Codex CLI with GPT 5.5 high. I prefer the CLI because it starts with a clean slate. Lower reasoning results in poor quality; xhigh is too slow. I’m ineffective at running multiple agent sessions in the same project — I still review all code. I usually have one Ghostty window per project and work on 3–6 projects at a time.

When fixing bugs, I force a failing test first. Keeping models on a tight leash is still best. I review with Codiff (`codiff -w`). The best next step is to push to `main` — PR/collaboration phases often lose the velocity LLMs give you.

## Modern Engineering Values

### Strong Ownership

Agents amplify ownership. The most effective teams will be small, often two to three people, with clear ownership boundaries and isolated repositories. Strong ownership means understanding architecture, product requirements, tradeoffs, and long-term direction — reviewing agent work and deciding confidently.

### Taste, Taste, Taste

With agents, everyone can generate a lot of bullshit. Good taste is about what is worth spending time on.

### Strict Guardrails & Fast Feedback Loops

Working with coding agents is like onboarding new engineers without context constantly. Lint rules, automated testing, and fast verification make agents complete work in 1 minute instead of 60. Tools should operate on changed files.

### Context in the Repo

Put relevant context locally in the repo — taste, values, principles — so each agent session (like a new employee) can find it. Simpler, less code is easier to understand and fix.

### Own your Stack

Agents change the cost of owning core libraries. Depending on third-party stacks locks you into decisions you don’t control. Owning your stack gives agents tight constraints and you full product control.

### Option Value

Any change should unlock more options for future improvements. Don’t vibe yourself into a corner.

## On Management

Engineering management is going to become more technical, not less. As execution becomes cheaper, managers must retain domain expertise and provide technical leadership — closer to Tech Lead Management.

## How much faster?

In the past 30 days: ~770 commits and ~15k lines modified/day on average vs ~328 commits and ~5k lines/day a year earlier — more than twice as many commits and about 3× the code volume vs two years prior, at higher quality.

People are concerned about jobs. Unless models receive innate motivation aligned with goals and taste, humans stay in the loop — bottlenecked on judgement, not typing. Let’s ship!