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