Why Did a $10 Billion Startup Let Me Vibe-Code for Themโ€”and Why Did I Love It? | WIRED

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Notion's AI-Assisted Coding

The article details the author's experience 'vibe-coding' at Notion, a $10 billion startup. Notion uses AI coding assistants, primarily Claude, to aid its engineers in tasks such as fixing bugs and building new features.

The Process

Engineers use the Cursor app to interact with AI models. They ask the AI clarifying questions to understand existing code, which informs their prompts to the AI for code generation. The human programmer then debugs and tests the output. This AI assistance is presented as a time-saving measure, although the reality is increased workload rather than a shorter workweek.

Example: Fixing Mermaid Diagrams

The author participated in fixing a problem with mermaid diagrams in the Notion app. The AI's analysis revealed the diagrams were static images lacking click handlers and full-screen integration, helping the engineers understand the issue and develop a solution. This example showcases how the AI helps navigate a large codebase and quickly diagnose problems.

Overall Impression

The author's overall experience highlights the increasing integration of AI into the software development process at a large company. The use of AI is presented as both a powerful tool for efficiency and a dynamic way of collaboration between humans and AI.

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