Ask HN: What is your (AI) dev tech stack / workflow? (June 2026)

AI coding fans clash over how much help is too much as one veteran asks where to start

TLDR: A veteran programmer asked what AI-friendly coding setup people actually use for teaching modern software building in 2026. The replies split between cautious newcomers, strict workplaces afraid of AI, and power users building absurdly elaborate setups—showing the biggest debate is no longer whether to use AI, but how much to trust it.

A longtime programmer wandered into Hacker News with a very relatable crisis: how do you teach modern app-building when everyone suddenly has an AI sidekick? He wants practical workshops for everyone from curious beginners to working developers, with wholesome goals like making a personal website, setting up a blog, building a simple web tool, and sorting out home backups. Very sensible. Very grounded. And then the comments arrived with the full internet personality spectrum.

The loudest mood was "trust issues, but make it productive." One commenter admitted they were "late to the AI party" and still struggle to stop typing every line themselves, which feels like the emotional support animal of the whole thread. Another pitched a more upbeat starter pack and basically said: begin with a tool that does a lot for you, read the guides, and keep a human in the loop. That phrase was the closest thing to a peace treaty.

But the real drama came from the split between the power users and the AI skeptics under corporate lockdown. One security lead revealed their company has such strict rules that they mostly still code by hand, adding the painfully honest fear that they may "fall behind." Oof. Meanwhile, another commenter rolled in with a wildly customized setup involving split windows, separate workspaces, and what can only be described as a beautifully overengineered command center for AI-assisted coding. The thread's unofficial comedy category belongs to that camp: if your coding desk now sounds like a spaceship cockpit, congratulations, the comments think you're either a genius or absolutely vibe-coding your way into madness.

Key Points

  • The post asks for recommendations on AI-assisted developer tooling and workflows for in-person workshops aimed at both beginners and experienced developers.
  • The author has more than 20 years of programming experience but limited hands-on use of AI tools beyond some LLM API usage.
  • The author emphasizes open-source tools, long-term maintainability, test-driven development, proven documentation, and customer-centric agile/XP practices.
  • Planned workshop and personal projects include a one-page website, a Pelican blog, a FastAPI-based tool or API, SyncThing-based Linux folder syncing, and iPhone media backup.
  • The current stack includes Linux Mint Debian Edition, VSCodium, Python, HTML/CSS, and Amazon AWS, while expected participants will mostly use MacBooks or Windows systems.

Hottest takes

"late to the AI party" — ahriad
"stay human in the loop" — verdverm
"I am aware we will fall behind" — gottagocode
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