Why I Returned to Coding After 7 Years as a 'Pure' CEO

Source: Dev.to

Pre‑AI Era

In the Pre‑AI era, a responsible CEO had three jobs: raise money, recruit talent, and set the vision. If you spent your day writing code, you were “irresponsible”—you were indulging in your own joy while neglecting the ship’s direction. I followed this rule and stopped coding six or seven years ago to focus entirely on strategy.

The AI Pivot

Late last year, I went all‑in on AI. Everything changed. I’ve been a developer for 20+ years, and my core strength is understanding users. Previously, building a “polished” software product required 100 % of my energy—leaving zero room for leadership.

Now I use AI as my force multiplier. I can “code” while walking the kids, waiting at a traffic light, or shopping with my wife. I spend about 10 % of my time building high‑quality software and 90 % on high‑level thinking.

The Organizational Insight

CEO‑coding isn’t just about output; it’s about AI‑first intuition. By being in the trenches, I’ve realized several shifts:

• The New MVP: The most valuable engineers aren’t just “technical geniuses.” They are the ones who love the customer, push for progress, and constantly ask “Why?”
• The Risk: Knowledge is no longer the bottleneck—execution and empathy are. Highly skilled developers who refuse to talk to users will be replaced by AI‑augmented “product engineers.”

My Advice

Stop asking what AI is for. Start coding. The moment you understand the AI workflow, your anxiety will vanish, and your passion will return. The steam‑engine era for startups is here.