As AI coding agents become the norm, I’ve spent the last few months figuring out what actually works vs. what’s just hype.
Here are 5 patterns that have genuinely sped up my workflow.
1. The “Describe, Don’t Code” Pattern
Instead of writing code yourself, describe what you want in plain English:
# Bad: Writing this yourself
def validate_email(email):
import re
pattern = r"^[a-zA-Z0-9_.+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9-]+.[a-zA-Z0-9-.]+$"
return bool(re.match(pattern, email))
# Good: Ask the agent
# "Write a Python function to validate email addresses.
# Handle edge cases like plus addressing and subdomains."
The agent will write more comprehensive code than you would have.
2. The “Rubber Duck” Pattern
Before diving into a problem, explain it to the AI:
Me: I need to build a rate limiter for an API.
I'm thinking sliding window, but I'm not sure
if that's overkill for my use case.
Agent: What's your expected QPS? If it's under 1000,
a simple token bucket might be simpler to implement
and debug...
The AI challenges your assumptions before you waste time.
3. The “Test First” Pattern
Ask for tests before implementation:
# Prompt: "Write pytest tests for a user authentication
# service that handles login, logout, and password reset"
Then feed those tests back and ask for implementation. The agent writes code that passes the tests on first try.
4. The “Refactor Chain” Pattern
Don’t ask for perfect code upfront. Iterate:
- “Write a quick script to do X”
- “Now add error handling”
- “Now make it production-ready”
- “Now optimize for performance”
Each pass is focused. The final result is clean.
5. The “Code Review” Pattern
Paste your code and ask:
"Review this code. What would break in production?
What would a senior engineer change?"
You get instant feedback without waiting for PR reviews.
The Meta-Lesson
AI coding tools aren’t about replacing developers. They’re about amplifying what you already know.
The best prompts come from experience. The best code reviews come from understanding the codebase.
The agents do the typing. You do the thinking.
What patterns are you using? Drop them in the comments 👇