In an age where code seems to write itself and AI promises to make every developer “10x faster,” something essential has quietly started to erode our craftsmanship. I call the counter-movement to this erosion artesanal coding.
Like artisanal bread or craft coffee, artesanal coding is not about nostalgia or resistance to progress. It’s about intentionality, quality, and soul; things that can’t be automated, templated, or generated in bulk. It’s the human touch in a field that’s rushing to outsource its own intuition.
What Is Artesanal Coding (職人コーディング)?
Artesanal coding is the conscious resistance to that decay.
It’s not anti-AI, it’s anti-carelessness. It’s the belief that the best code is still handmade, understood, and cared for.
Think of an artisan carpenter.
He can use power tools but he knows when to stop and sand by hand. He knows the wood, feels its resistance, and adjusts. He doesn’t mass-produce he perfects.
Artesanal coding applies that mindset to software. It’s about:
- Understanding the problem before touching the code.
- Writing it line by line, consciously.
- Refactoring not because a tool says so, but because you feel the imbalance.
- Learning from your errors instead of patching them away.
It’s slow. It’s deliberate. And that’s the point.
Artesanal coding is the deliberate act of writing software by hand, with care, precision, and understanding. It’s the opposite of what I call vibe coding the growing trend of throwing AI-generated snippets together, guided by vibes and autocomplete rather than comprehension.
This is not about rejecting tools it’s about rejecting the loss of mastery. It’s a mindset that values the slow process of creation, the small victories of debugging, and the satisfaction of knowing your code’s structure like a craftsman knows the grain of wood.
Why We Need Artesanal Coding
- We’re losing our muscle memory.
Developers who rely too heavily on AI are forgetting how to solve problems from first principles. Code completion is helpful, but when it replaces thought, the skill atrophies. - Code quality is declining behind pretty demos.
Vibe coding produces software that “works” today but collapses tomorrow. Without deep understanding, we can’t reason about edge cases, performance, or scalability. - We risk becoming code operators instead of creators.
The satisfaction of crafting something elegant is replaced by prompt-tweaking and debugging alien code. Artesanal coding restores that connection between creator and creation. - AI cannot feel the friction.
Friction is good. The process of struggling through a bug teaches lessons that no autocomplete can. That frustration is where true craftsmanship is born.
The Role (and Limitations) of AI in Artesanal Coding
Artesanal coding doesn’t ban AI. It just defines healthy boundaries for its use.
✅ Allowed AI usage:
- Short code completions: Using AI to fill in a few lines of boilerplate or repetitive syntax.
- Troubleshooting assistance: Asking AI or community-like queries outside the codebase similar to how you’d ask Stack Overflow or a mentor for advice.
🚫 Not allowed:
- Generating entire functions or components without understanding them.
- Using AI to “design” the logic of your app.
- Copy-pasting large sections of unverified code.
AI can be your assistant, not your replacement. Think of it as a digital apprentice, not a co-author.
The Future Depends on How We Code Now
As we rush toward AI-assisted everything, we risk raising a generation of developers who can’t code without help. Artesanal coding is a statement of independence a call to slow down, think deeply, and keep your hands on the keyboard with intent.
Just as artisans revived craftsmanship in industries overtaken by automation, we can do the same in tech. The software we write today shapes the world we live in tomorrow. It deserves the same care as any other craft.
Artesanal coding is not a movement of the past, it’s a movement for the future.
Because even in the age of AI, quality still matters. Understanding still matters. Humans still matter.
If vibe coding is the fast food of software, artesanal coding is the slow-cooked meal: nourishing, deliberate, and made with care.
It takes more time, yes. But it’s worth every second.
Let’s bring back pride to our craft.
Let’s code like artisans again.
In many ways, artesanal coding echoes the Japanese philosophies of Shokunin [職人] (the pursuit of mastery through mindful repetition), Wabi-sabi [侘寂] (the acceptance of imperfection as beauty), and Kaizen [改善] (the quiet dedication to constant improvement). A true craftsperson doesn’t rush; they refine. They don’t chase perfection; they respect the process. Coding, like Japanese pottery or calligraphy, becomes an act of presence a meditative dialogue between the mind and the material. In a world driven by automation and speed, this spirit reminds us that the deepest satisfaction still comes from doing one thing well, by hand, with heart.
Final Thoughts
This post marks a turning point for me and for this blog.
I’ve spent decades building software, teams, and systems. I’ve seen tools come and go, frameworks rise and fade. But never before have we faced a transformation this deep one that challenges not just how we code, but why we code.
Artesanal coding is my response.
From this point forward, everything I write here every essay, every reflection will revolve around this principle: building software with intention, understanding, and care.
This isn’t just about programming.
It’s about reclaiming craftsmanship in a world addicted to shortcuts.
It’s about creating something lasting in an era of instant everything.
It’s about remembering that the hands still matter.
“職人コーディング – Writing software with heart, precision, and purpose.”