What ThePrimeagen thinks about developer tools

@theprimeagen · 31 positions · On ppll ↗

Michael Paulson, known online as ThePrimeagen, a programmer who spent ten years at Netflix and now streams and teaches programming full time on Twitch and YouTube.

ThePrimeagen did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

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Only ThePrimeagen on developer tools. See everyone on developer tools

4 dated positions, 2025, in their own words. Our reading of what ThePrimeagen has said — not written or endorsed by them.

4 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

1. 22 Mar 2025

   Our readingLearning to touch-type and to know your editor without thinking is worth it, because every glance at the keyboard spends attention the problem needs.

   Their wordsIt's the same reason why I recommend learning how to type and learning your editor so well you don't even have to think about the action because the people that have to... Even if you just look down, that's still mental processing power you have to spend looking at a keyboard in which you already know where the key is.

   ↗ThePrimeagen: Programming, AI, ADHD, Productivity, Addiction, and God | Lex Fridman Podcast #461youtube.com 18th of 31 in this recording

3. 22 Mar 2025

   Our readingFor an experienced programmer the bottleneck is usually not thinking but typing, getting what is already in your head into the editor fast enough.

   Their wordsMost of the time I'm not thinking, I'm programming. I know what I want to do, I want to go as fast as possible because I've been just doing it for so long and I'm so familiar with the general space that it becomes a huge problem for me. I cannot tell you how many times that I've been purely bottlenecked by the fact that I just can't type fast enough and I just need to get it out of my head onto the text editor.

   ↗ThePrimeagen: Programming, AI, ADHD, Productivity, Addiction, and God | Lex Fridman Podcast #461youtube.com 19th of 31 in this recording

5. 22 Mar 2025

   Our readingThe editor does not make the programmer, but never learning your editor well says something about your character as one.

   Their wordsThe editor obviously does not make the programmer, but I think it says a lot about your character as a programmer if you don't know how to use your editor well.

   ↗ThePrimeagen: Programming, AI, ADHD, Productivity, Addiction, and God | Lex Fridman Podcast #461youtube.com 20th of 31 in this recording

7. 22 Mar 2025

   Our readingSticking with Neovim is not loyalty to the editor: if an AI editor like Cursor met the same needs, switching would be easy.

   Their wordsI don't use Neovim because I love Neovim, I use Neovim because I love the instrument I play. And so it's like if Cursor can meet those needs, I could see myself moving over. I don't have some sort of obsessed attachment with it.

   ↗ThePrimeagen: Programming, AI, ADHD, Productivity, Addiction, and God | Lex Fridman Podcast #461youtube.com 21st of 31 in this recording