Each vendor promises that AI coding tools will increase your productivity by 40%. But senior engineers kept a time log. It's the difference between those two numbers that makes you blush.
A recent discussion among experienced developers revealed something uncomfortable. When they honestly logged where their hours went — including all the cleanup — that 40% boost shrank to single digits. Sometimes it vanished entirely.
The Marketing Number vs. the Real Number
Let me explain how the 40% is calculated. You request an AI to generate a function. It provides you with 30 lines within 10 seconds. Compared to typing it yourself, that's a massive speedup. Congratulations, you've measured the least interesting part of the job.
Nobody ships their first draft. Here's a more accurate timeline:
