Plan Mode Is Dead
5 hours ago
- Nuanced, a planning-focused coding app, failed due to several key reasons.
- Planning and the final plan document are distinct; users didn't value long, structured AI-generated specs.
- Improved AI models can autonomously explore code and make reasonable decisions, reducing the need for explicit planning instructions.
- AI-generated text is hard to read, and creating a shorter summary (Spec Tour) added complexity without solving readability.
- The linear workflow (chat → spec → implement) disrupted natural thinking, which interleaves planning and building.
- Separating plan and build modes added cognitive load, as users had to decide which mode to use.
- The ultimate goal—helping humans maintain a coherent mental model as AI changes code rapidly—remains unsolved.
- The future of planning may lie in continuous loops (understand → act → inspect → adjust) rather than static plan documents.
- Agents should identify key decision points requiring human attention, not require reading all conversations.