The Disappearing Middle of Software Work by Karri Saarinen §

Introduction §

I believe the core of software development is shifting. For a long time, the \“middle\” of software work – the actual coding and implementation – was the most crucial and time-consuming part. It involved translating an idea into reality by opening the codebase, setting up the environment, and writing code.

The Shift §

This is changing due to advancements in AI and agent-based workflows. These systems can now produce working code from high-level goals, context, and tasks with increasing independence. This means less manual coding and a reduced reliance on traditional IDEs for writing code; IDEs are becoming more like code viewers.

As these systems improve, the \“middle\” becomes thinner. Less time is spent manually translating intent into implementation.

The New Focus: Intent and Clarity §

With agents handling much of the coding, the critical questions shift to:

• What actually needs to be built?
• Understanding the problem deeply.
• Gathering relevant context from customers and internal teams.
• Shaping the work effectively so agents can act upon clear input.

In this context, \“design\” is less about artifacts and tools and more about:

• Forming and shaping clarity of intent through ideas, exploration, research, and discussion.
• Deciding what matters, what constraints apply, and what tradeoffs are acceptable.
• Seeking clarity to ensure execution genuinely creates impact.

Directing and Managing Agent Work §

Directing and managing agent work is becoming the new craft. Writing code is evolving from constructing a solution to setting up the conditions for a good solution to emerge. This might even become an organizational task: creating the right conditions for the whole product team.

The Impact on Review and Release §

When the middle produces significant output with less direct supervision, it places more pressure on the later stages: reviewing, testing, and releasing code. Tooling and workflows need to adapt and improve to handle this increased output, ideally integrating seamlessly into the overall process rather than remaining a final bottleneck.

Conclusion §

As the \“middle\” of software work recedes or integrates, the focus increasingly shifts to forming the right intent and ensuring the outcome genuinely meets that intent.

© 2026 X Corp.