Sometimes I wonder why I’m still writing code in 2025. Between AI-powered code assistants, no-code platforms, and hyper-automated pipelines, you’d think the desire to code by hand would have faded. But it hasn’t — in fact, it’s stronger than ever.

My relationship with programming has been a journey, one that’s evolved alongside the tools and frameworks that have come and gone.

Falling in Love with Code

Like a lot of developers, I started years ago tinkering with front-end JavaScript, amazed that I could make a button react to a click. Seeing an idea come alive on the screen was nothing short of magic.

Over time, my code grew more sophisticated — building REST APIs, wrangling state with React, structuring monoliths that later split into microservices. Tools like JetBrains IDEs made me feel powerful, with their autocomplete, refactor helpers, and code inspections. JetBrains became my daily companion, nudging me toward cleaner, smarter code.

The Copilot Revolution

Then came GitHub Copilot. At first, I was skeptical. Could an AI really help me write production-grade code? The short answer is yes — Copilot changed everything.

It became my brainstorming partner, suggesting repetitive patterns and helping me write predictable boilerplate so I could focus on logic and architecture. It was like having an extra brain, trained on the collective wisdom of the developer community.

But here’s what surprised me: Copilot didn’t steal the joy of programming — it amplified it. I could jump into solving hard problems faster, explore architectural ideas, and write test coverage more easily.

The Rise of API Facilitators

As my work moved deeper into complex backend systems, APIs became my bread and butter. And the ecosystem around APIs just exploded:

• Postman made testing and documenting APIs intuitive.

• Swagger / OpenAPI gave me clear blueprints for contract design.

• RapidAPI marketplaces let me plug third-party services into prototypes with a few clicks.

Instead of fighting APIs, I could build faster, ship more confidently, and still own the core business logic. That sense of ownership is something no AI tool can fully replicate — knowing why your code behaves the way it does.

The Power of a Human Mind

Even with all these tools, there are parts of coding that remain deeply human. For example:

• Deciding which abstraction best fits future needs

• Balancing speed and technical debt

• Understanding subtle UX or performance trade-offs

AI tools and code generators might propose options, but they can’t reason about user empathy or the values of a given product. That’s still our job.

And there’s joy in it. Writing a well-structured component, or designing an elegant data model, scratches a creative itch no point-and-click builder can satisfy.

In 2025, Coding Still Feels Like Superpowers

I’m excited about what 2025 has brought:

• Server components that offload unnecessary client bloat

• Edge functions that deliver lightning-fast responses

• Type-safe APIs using tools like tRPC

• Generative AI that fills in unit tests or boilerplate on demand

Yet in the middle of all that progress, I still find myself enjoying a quiet afternoon with a hot coffee, tweaking a function, pushing a commit, seeing a test pass. That thrill has never left me.

Why I’m Still Here

So yes — I still love writing code in 2025. Because it’s mine.

I might get suggestions from Copilot, or performance hints from JetBrains, or API mockups from Postman, but in the end, I shape the system. I make the choices. I own the trade-offs.

Code is still one of the most powerful forms of human creativity — as expressive as music or design. And as long as there are ideas worth building, I’ll keep opening a blank file, putting down that first line, and seeing where it takes me.