In the Pre-AI era, a responsible CEO had three jobs: Raise money, recruit talents and set the vision. If you spent your day writing code, you were "irresponsible." You were indulging in your own joy while neglecting the ship's direction. I followed this rule and stopped coding six or seven years ago to focus entirely on strategy.

The AI Pivot:
Late last year, I went All-in on AI. Everything changed. I’ve been a dev for 20+ years, and my core strength is understanding users. Previously, building a "polished" software product required 100% of my energy—leaving zero room for leadership.

Now? I use AI as my force multiplier. I can "code" while walking the kids, waiting for a green light, or shopping with my wife. I spend 10% of my time building high-quality software and 90% on high-level thinking.

The Organizational Insight:
CEO-coding isn't just about output; it's about AI-First intuition. By being in the trenches, I’ve realized:

The New MVP: The most valuable engineers aren't just "technical geniuses." They are the ones who love the customer, push for progress, and ask "Why?"

The Risk: Knowledge is no longer the bottleneck—execution and empathy are. Highly skilled devs who refuse to talk to users will be replaced by AI-augmented "Product Engineers."

My Advice:
Stop asking what AI is for. Start coding. The moment you understand the AI workflow, your anxiety will vanish, and your passion will return. The steam engine era for startups is here.