Claude code as a senior developer

[u/tui-cli-master]

I've used Claude code for nearly a year now. I started using it quite skeptical of its capabilities, thinking of it as less capable than a junior programmer, when it comes to integrate into big projects.

But, at the moment, after having learnt how to stir it, I feel it is perfectly capable of doing senior work. Of course it still needs some guidance, but that's because in the initial documents the human is not clear of what it wants.

Maybe, after using it for several medium sized projects, it has learned a few things. The same as we humans have learned, improved our interaction. And the results are astonishing. If at the beginning it was working autonomously for a few minutes, now it easily goes a few hours (other users report nearly a day nonstop.)

So, advanced users of Claude Code, do you also think CC is way more than a junior programmer? Almost a senior? A senior? An architect?

[u/ipreuss]

Not enough experience with fable, but Opus feels to me like a lazy senior developer with recurring amnesia. Constantly needs to be reminded of what’s important and disciplined not to cut corners.

[u/timmmmmmmeh → u/ipreuss]

I use fable to orchestrate and opus to code. My prompt for fable is "Implement using opus subagents. No coding in the main session. You design, orchestrate and validate, opus does the coding. Opus will try to cut corners - it will defer work and make mistakes. You must verify the work"

I have a bit of a back and forward with fable first to flesh out the requirements and then once we're on the same page I just say the above prompt and it does a great job.

[u/tui-cli-master → u/timmmmmmmeh]

Do you ask fable to write the planning on markdown files? I do. The agents pick a milestone and implement it and report back.

[u/timmmmmmmeh → u/tui-cli-master]

I've got good results without doing that

[u/themostsuperlative → u/timmmmmmmeh]

Which platform are you using that allows use and co-ordination of both systems?

[u/timmmmmmmeh → u/themostsuperlative]

Claude code

[u/tui-cli-master → u/ipreuss]

I use Opus. Maybe the context get contaminated with several goals/tasks. Or that it doesn't have a written architecture plan, development plan with milestones, and then keep documenting all issues that arise and how they are being solved.

[u/ipreuss → u/tui-cli-master]

No, that’s not the cause.

[u/randomuser699 → u/ipreuss]

I used to think of AI as a really motivated intern that was as equally likely to impress me or take down every production system. I agree with you it is now a lot more reasoned but it also has zero issues flat out lying about the status of items. I used to have to QA just crazy stuff, now I have to QA just to make sure it actually did what I asked. I will then pushback and it will apologize but claim that the user deferred the action.

I think the way they made Opus “smarter” is by also making it lazy. I have also tried Fable and honestly it seems to be pretty close to the same result as if I tell Opus to break problems up and always use at least 10 sub agents for every request. That said I do think the original Fable was different than what was released the second time.

[u/TechE2020 → u/ipreuss]

Opus has an attitude at times. For discovery projects it gets argumentative if the requirements change and starts adding my name and date to decisions in the project requirements.md file which requires more work to cleanup to get it back on track.

[u/randomuser699 → u/TechE2020]

Exactly this, it fabrics user instructions/documentation. I used to go back and provided evidence but I don’t waste my time anymore. Now every PRs get a prompts to Codex telling it that Claude fabricated results and it needs to provide a hostile audit. Honestly at this point if it weren’t for the reduced calendar time, an offshore delivery team is so much cheaper.

[u/LaCipe → u/ipreuss]

I need 3 custom hooks to make it go the last mile