{"id":3450,"date":"2025-04-30T07:02:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T07:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/30\/how-to-level-up-your-technical-skills-in-this-ai-era\/"},"modified":"2025-04-30T07:02:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T07:02:21","slug":"how-to-level-up-your-technical-skills-in-this-ai-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/30\/how-to-level-up-your-technical-skills-in-this-ai-era\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Level Up Your Technical Skills in This AI Era"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>    How to Level Up Your Technical Skills in This AI Era<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    <!-- no image --><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><mdspan datatext=\"el1745953580269\" class=\"mdspan-comment\">AI-assisted<\/mdspan> coding is here to stay. Tools like <a href=\"https:\/\/towardsdatascience.com\/tag\/cursor\/\" title=\"Cursor\">Cursor<\/a>, V0, and Lovable have dramatically lowered the barrier to entry\u200a\u2014\u200abuilding dashboards, pipelines, or entire apps can now be done in a fraction of the time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I use these tools daily, and they\u2019ve definitely made me faster. But as the codebase gets more complex, the tradeoffs become clear: cryptic bugs, tangled logic, and hours lost debugging code I didn\u2019t truly understand.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>AI tools are great\u200a\u2014\u200aespecially for beginners\u200a\u2014\u200abut they come with a quiet cost. The more you let AI carry the load, the fewer chances you have to sharpen your instincts that come from wrestling with complexity.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Yes, AI will speed up your workflow, but you\u2019ll also skip the formative steps where technical wisdom is earned.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cVibe coding\u201d\u200a\u2014\u200aquickly cobbling together code with minimal planning\u200a\u2014\u200ais great for demos or experiments. But for deeper technical growth or building systems with meaningful complexity, vibe coding isn\u2019t enough. This trending Reddit post sums it up perfectly: left unchecked, vibe coding creates more problems than it solves.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\" datatext=\"el1745953299332\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">vibe coding, where 2 engineers can now create the tech debt of at least 50 engineers<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 I Am Devloper (@iamdevloper) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/iamdevloper\/status\/1902628884278894941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 20, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this piece, I\u2019ll show you how to use AI-assisted tools more wisely\u200a\u2014\u200aand why contributing to <a href=\"https:\/\/towardsdatascience.com\/tag\/open-source\/\" title=\"Open Source\">Open Source<\/a> might be the most underrated way to truly level up your technical skills.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My experience vibe coding with Cursor<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like many developers, I switched from VS Code (with GitHub Copilot) to Cursor and am currently subscribed to Cursor\u2019s Pro plan ($20\/month).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The feature I rely on most is Cursor\u2019s integrated AI chat, which lets me directly interact with my <strong><em>entire <\/em><\/strong>codebase. Its agent can quickly grep through multiple files and even handle images\u200a-\u200aextremely useful when navigating large, unfamiliar repos. It also spots linter errors and auto-corrects them while directly editing files.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Initially, Cursor dramatically boosted my productivity, especially for simpler tasks. It felt powerful, almost magical. But as things got complex, I noticed some cracks. Cursor would sometimes generate spaghetti code, mix up similarly named files across directories, and occasionally struggle to follow intricate logic flows.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vibe coding can get you thousands of lines of code in minutes\u200a \u2014 but without a strong mental model of what you\u2019re building, you risk ending up with bloated, over-engineered systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cursor does a decent job narrowing down the search space when debugging. But letting it make unchecked edits does introduce even more bugs than it solves.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Beyond the usual advice to \u201cwrite better prompts,\u201d one strategy I\u2019ve found especially helpful is telling Cursor NOT to make direct edits. (It\u2019s surprisingly obedient about this!)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, I explicitly ask it to suggest changes first in the chat interface. Then, I would review each suggestion, decide which edits made sense, and apply them selectively\u200a\u2014\u200aeither manually or through Cursor. Unlike ChatGPT, Cursor\u2019s biggest strength is its contextual awareness of the entire codebase and its ability to parse through lengthy files (over 5k lines of code) by processing them in manageable chunks.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contributing to open source<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, how do you get technically stronger? Two ways stand out: side projects and open source contributions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Side projects are great for exploring new tech or diving deep into something you\u2019re passionate or curious about. Wonder how AI agents work or curious about MCP? Just building a simple weekend project teaches you far more than hours of tutorials or documentation. Thanks to open-source, tools and resources are freely accessible, leveling the playing field for everyone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But solo projects have downsides. It\u2019s easy to lose motivation\u200a\u2014\u200amany of my own side projects never saw the light of day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Plus, you can find yourself in an echo chamber: your code works, but you\u2019re not sure if it\u2019s following best practices or industry standards. If you\u2019re early in your career and lack mentorship, how do you know if you\u2019re even on the right track?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is exactly where open source fills the gap. Open source projects aren\u2019t just for coding wizards; they\u2019re for everyone. Your favourite libraries like Pandas, Matplotlib, TensorFlow, and Keras rely heavily on community involvement.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why bother contributing?<\/h4>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open source lets you make a real impact used by thousands of developers\u200a\u2014\u200anot just toy projects nobody sees. You\u2019ll become proficient with version control (hello, GitHub!), sharpen your skills navigating complex codebases, pick up best practices, and build a network of people who can vouch for you when it matters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are career benefits too. It\u2019ll add to your portfolio and personal brand, and you\u2019ll ramp up faster when joining new teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, contribute for the right reasons. <strong><em>If your only motivation is landing a job, DON\u2019T contribute! <\/em><\/strong>Open source is not a ticket to get a job\u200a\u2014\u200ait requires genuine interest and commitment. It shows you\u2019ve a passion to build, and for many startups that begin from open source projects, that\u2019s how they find their first hires.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Picking an open source project that you care about<\/h4>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting out can seem daunting. Many popular repos have enormous codebases, potentially outdated documentation, or hundreds of unclear issues. So how do you pick?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First up, pick a project you<strong> genuinely care about. <\/strong>This might sound obvious, but it\u2019s crucial\u200a\u2014\u200aand underrated.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Choose something you <strong><em>actually use, <\/em><\/strong>whether at work or in a side project. Jumping into an unfamiliar project with unfamiliar tech is simply overwhelming, and you\u2019ll lose motivation fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Personally, I\u2019m both a user and a big fan of PostHog\u200a\u00a0\u2014 the product analytics platform built specifically for developers\u200a\u2014 so I started contributing there. Their docs were comprehensive and well-structured, which made it an awesome place to start. (And no, they didn\u2019t pay me to say this!)<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to contribute?<\/h4>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a <strong><em>ton<\/em><\/strong> of things you can do. Here\u2019s an approach that I found helpful.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Find a feature you need or improve something you use.<br \/>Narrowing down contributions to features you genuinely care about gives clarity and motivation. The best code comes from solving problems you personally face.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Set up your local environment.<br \/>Fork the project, clone it locally, and get it running. Understand where logs are and how to test changes. Get a grasp on the project\u2019s basic structure and coding style.<\/li>\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">Start small and learn by doing<br \/>Many repos tag beginner-friendly issues (like \u201cgood-first-issue\u201d). Pick these to start. Understand and replicate the bug; don\u2019t hesitate to comment if you\u2019re stuck. When you open a PR, ensure your changes pass all linting and tests.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learning to navigate the codebase is essential. You don\u2019t need to read every line\u200a\u2014\u200athat\u2019s practically impossible. After grasping the high-level structure, dive in. Start small to get comfortable with the build, deployment, and PR review process. Write clear commit messages and PR descriptions. Check recently merged PRs to see successful examples or insightful discussions.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wrapping up<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Contributing to open source takes patience\u200a\u2014\u200apopular repos are huge, and learning takes time. Becoming a consistent, valuable contributor takes at least a few months, so don\u2019t get discouraged by initial setbacks. If your PR is rejected or you get stuck on a tricky bug, that\u2019s perfectly normal\u200a\u2014\u200ait\u2019s all part of the learning process.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re new to open source and want to chat, feel free to connect. While I didn\u2019t dive deeply into technical details here (a quick Google or ChatGPT search can guide you there), I hope this gives you the big-picture perspective to get started. Open source has been rewarding for me\u200a\u2014\u200aand I hope it will be for you too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See you in the next article <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/1f642.png?ssl=1\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude42\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\"><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/towardsdatascience.com\/how-to-level-up-your-technical-skills-in-this-ai-era\/\">How to Level Up Your Technical Skills in This AI Era<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/towardsdatascience.com\/\">Towards Data Science<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    Clara Chong<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/towardsdatascience.com\/how-to-level-up-your-technical-skills-in-this-ai-era\/\">Go to original source<\/a><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Level Up Your Technical Skills in This AI Era AI-assisted coding is here to stay. Tools like Cursor, V0, and Lovable have dramatically lowered the barrier to entry\u200a\u2014\u200abuilding dashboards, pipelines, or entire apps can now be done in a fraction of the time. I use these tools daily, and they\u2019ve definitely made me [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,69,849,71,1558,397,160],"tags":[98,2284,852],"class_list":["post-3450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aimldsaimlds","category-artificial-intelligence","category-cursor","category-large-language-models","category-open-source","category-productivity","category-programming","tag-ai","tag-coding","tag-cursor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3450"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3450"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3450\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailitics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}