THIS META ENGINEER SPENT 6 MONTHS IN CLAUDE CODE... AND HIS BIGGEST BOTTLENECK ISN'T WRITING CODE ANYMORE. It's reviewing AI-generated code. Key takeaways: • Start every feature in **Plan Mode**, not Edit Mode. • A clean `CLAUDE.md` is your AI's operating manual. Keep it concise. • Validation loops > better prompts. Give Claude ways to verify and fix its own work. • Fresh context beats bloated context every time. • Run multiple Claude instances in parallel instead of waiting on one. • Let Claude manage its own rules, skills, commands, and workflows. • MCPs are powerful, but only install what you actually need. • The best AI engineers aren't faster typists. They're better context engineers. The biggest shift: You're no longer programming the computer. You're programming the AI that writes the software. If you're serious about AI coding in 2026, this is one of the most practical breakdowns you'll watch. It goes far beyond prompts and shows how elite engineers actually structure their workflow. Video cred: John Kim (Youtube)