# Coding agents make software engineering harder?

> A quick take · Simon Willison, September 24, 2026

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LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

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> The more time I spend working with coding agents, the more convinced I am that they make software engineering even harder.
>
> We can do amazing things with them, but unlocking their full potential requires extraordinary discipline and knowledge.
>
> — [Simon Willison · September 24, 2026](https://simonwillison.net/2026/Sep/24/harder/)

Doing anything well is hard. What counts as good is relative, and everyone has access to the same tools.