When and How Should Developers Use AI — Plan First or Start Generating Code? Last week, a developer on our team opened an AI tool before writing a single line of code. The task? Change a button label. A few minutes later, the AI had suggested architecture improvements, refactoring strategies, testing layers, and performance considerations… for a one-line change. We laughed. But it revealed something important: Using AI isn’t the challenge anymore. Knowing when and how to use it is. The Real Decision: Generate Code or Think First? Today, developers face a new daily choice: Should I ask AI to generate code right away… or should I use AI to help me plan first? Starting with code feels fast. It gives you that dopamine hit of "done." But without clarity, rapid generation often leads to rework, hidden bugs, and "spaghetti code" that just happens to be syntax-perfect. Great developers use AI differently. They decide whether the problem needs thinking or typing . A memor...