Originally published on tamiz.pro.
I spent twelve years reviewing code. I developed a rhythm—spotting logic errors, questioning edge cases, recommending refactors—and it made me a better engineer. When AI coding agents first became viable last year, I assumed my superpower would transfer directly: I'd simply review what the agent produced, flag issues, and iterate. Thirty days into treating AI-generated code as my primary workflow, I've learned that assumption was dangerously wrong.
Code review assumes an autonomous author. Agent management assumes you are the author, and the AI is your increasingly competent but occasionally catastrophic pair programmer. The mental shift from reviewer to manager is steeper than most engineers are admitting publicly.
The Reviewer Mindset Doesn't Transfer
When you review human-written code, you evaluate decisions someone else made. You bring context, intent, and domain knowledge to bear on choices you didn't make. This is a receptive, analytical mode.
