Engineers worried coding with AI could feel lonely, so they paired up at lunch
They all use the same AI coding setup differently, and say they learn a lot when they pair up and watch each other work.
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career · What AI coding costs engineersOn the Cloud Code team, a member of the team said the feeling built up after a while. The engineers had started working with their agents so much that the work "could start being a lonely experience."
The member described that loneliness as a possible cost of spending so much time working with agents.
Recently, the team started a pairwise programming lunch, with two engineers working on the same code together.
Everybody on the team uses the same setup, Cloud Code Co-work. And, as the team member put it, "Everybody uses the flow so differently."
The member said that when they do pairwise programming, they "learn so much from each other."
They also set aside maker time together, time when they work together rather than apart. The member said the point was "to make sure we're interacting together as a team."
Questions people ask
Why would everyone use the same AI tool differently?
People develop different habits around prompts, checks, and when to accept or rewrite what the agent suggests. One person may break work into small steps while another asks for larger drafts. Watching both styles can show options you would not find on your own.
Do shared meals and joint work time actually help teams?
Yes. Studies of office and engineering teams often find that brief, repeated contact builds trust and spreads practical knowledge. Shared meals and joint work time are common ways to create that contact without adding more formal meetings.