🤖 AI is destroying and saving programming at the same time

Hey everybody,

This week’s roundup includes a new Python type checker from Meta, JavaScript’s latest proposal for better resource cleanup, insights from Microsoft’s latest layoffs, and a collection of posts that reshaped how one developer thinks about programming languages. Plus, a look at how AI is both a blessing and a curse for coding.

Let’s dive in!

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✏️ Writing that changed how I think about PL
Every so often, Max comes across a paper, blog post, or video that completely reshapes their understanding of programming languages and compilers. Some are so impactful, they can’t even recall how they thought about the topic before encountering them. Here’s a curated list of those transformative reads, shared without any particular order.

🤖 AI is destroying and saving programming at the same time
Tech leaders from YC to Fiverr are pushing the idea that AI-generated code is the future, and if you’re not on board, you’re getting left behind. But after two years deep in the AI coding trenches, the verdict is in: AI tools are both frustratingly bad and absolutely essential. Why?

🫂 Hit hardest in Microsoft layoffs? Developers
Microsoft’s push for “efficiency” promised leaner management, but this week’s layoffs told a different story. Over 6,000 employees were cut, with software engineers hit hardest, not middle managers, as many had expected. With AI now woven deep into day-to-day work, Microsoft seems to be betting big on automation, even if it means reshaping entire teams to get there.

🐍 A new type checker and IDE experience for Python
Meta just dropped the alpha of Pyrefly, a new open-source Python type checker built in Rust. It’s designed to catch type errors before runtime, with support for both IDEs and CLI workflows. Meta’s aiming to team up with the open source community to push Python’s type system further, and Pyrefly’s their first big step.

🦸 JavaScript's New Superpower: Explicit Resource Management
JavaScript’s new Explicit Resource Management proposal introduces deterministic cleanup for things like file handles and network connections. It adds using / await using, disposal symbols, and stack-based resource containers, bringing structured cleanup to the language. This means cleaner, more reliable code, and a new SuppressedError type to help track multiple errors during resource teardown.

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Every Developer NEEDS To Know 12-Factor App Principles

When I was starting out as a developer, the term "12-factor app" meant absolutely nothing to me.

But after years of trial and error, I realized these principles could’ve saved me so much confusion early on.

In this video, I’ll walk you through all 12 factors, what they are, why they matter, and how you can start applying them to your own apps right now.

Until next week,

Travis.