AI latency-induced context switching destroys flow state; the best antidote is limiting concurrent projects and remaining an active participant in the code.
Wes Bos explains that AI coding makes flow state difficult due to latency that triggers distraction, and recommends working on one thing at a time to stay engaged. ✦ AI generated
Wes Bos · Syntax · 2026-08-19 · original ↗
starts at this moment · 15:13
“I find it very difficult to get into the flow state that I usually get into when coding by hand... Do you have the same issue?”
working with AI to me has become this where I am working on project I'm typing something and that latency in the time at which I get a response back from the AI is long enough that I go to Airbud mode and I look at something else and then I go to this and I go to something else... So, the people that I talk to who do the best job of maintaining a flow state or a non-scattered viewpoint don't work on 13 different things at once. they work on one thing at a time. Uh and like so that is certainly part of the thing that I think needs to be a part of your workflow if you're looking to regain that flow state because it is so easy for somebody whose attention can get pulled here or there to be like well I now that I'm waiting for this thing to finish what I can start something else or go somewhere else or do something else or whatever when like that becomes that turns you into a non-active participant in the code.
verbatim transcript · starts at 15:13
15:13Airbud mode and I look at something else and then I go to this and I go to something else and I look at Airbud and I go to something else and then and so what happens to me is man Wes I got in my herder right now one 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 go 13 projects open and not all of those projects have AI agents
15:42actively on there but they are open and my attention has been absolutely decimated. Uh, one thing that I I I'm gonna I'm gonna keep plugging this video, guys. Uh, the video is on syntax right now on the mental health coding video. I touch on all of this stuff. It's so interesting that these questions are coming in like this. So, the people that I talk to who do the best job of
16:10maintaining a flow state or a non-scattered viewpoint don't work on 13 different things at once. they work on one thing at [laughter] a time. Uh and like so that is certainly part of the thing that I think needs to be a part of your workflow if you're looking to regain that flow state because it is so easy for somebody whose attention can get pulled here or there to be like well
16:40I now that I'm waiting for this thing to finish what I can start something else or go somewhere else or do something else or whatever when like >> that becomes that turns you into a non-active participant in the code. I think a lot of the answer that we had for the last one where you're able to stay in the code and whatever, if you are looking for that flow state still
17:02and you're looking to have that much of a handle, yeah, uh I'm not saying you got too many things going on at once, but I do. And that can help you stay into the code a bit more, stay become an active participant in the code. I think the the skill of being able to focus on what it is that you're doing and not just because you simply can not just try
17:26to chase every single squirrel is is going to be a very high skill that people are going to you're going to need to get better at at these types of things cuz it's it's way too easy to just fire up a thousand things at a time. And and generally you you kind of do have to have more than one thing cooking at once. I guess it really depends on what you're
- ·AI response latency creates waiting periods that trigger distraction
- ·Waiting for AI tempts developers to start multiple tasks simultaneously
- ·Context switching destroys sustained focus on a single problem
- ·Top performers work on one thing at a time
- ·Limit concurrent projects to maintain engagement
- ·Stay an active participant in your code