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How LLMs can help engineers unblock themselves, reduce cognitive load, and improve collaboration—without sacrificing quality or delivery pace
Getting stuck is a universal engineering experience. At RailsConf
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2019, Steven Hicks explored the psychological aspects of being stuck and how different mindsets help engineers unblock themselves. Today, we face a new dimension of this challenge: how LLMs are reshaping our industry and the way we approach problem-solving.
The perception of LLMs among engineers varies—from fear of replacement to skepticism about their usefulness. However, when used effectively, LLMs can free up mental space, enabling better teamwork and decision-making. Instead of interrupting colleagues for basic tech questions, environment setups, or company documentation, we can delegate these distractions to an LLM. LLMs can also accelerate prototyping by generating rough PoC code that doesn’t require high-quality craftsmanship.
But the true power of LLMs lies beyond automation. They can act as thought partners, helping us structure documentation, refine communication, and navigate complex problem decomposition. However, knowing their limits is key—we need clear escalation policies to determine when human expertise is required.
By strategically integrating LLMs, teams can shift their focus from cognitive overhead to meaningful collaboration, fostering trust, knowledge sharing, and stronger engineering relationships—without sacrificing delivery pace.
