Do Hard Things

Every day, I push myself to do things that are difficult for me. Sometimes, AI could help with those things — but in these cases, I choose NOT to use it.

Take learning to play the piano, for example. I've been playing for years now, yet I still feel like a beginner. It’s hard work, and I need to keep at it just to improve — or even just to avoid getting worse. At times, it frustrates me that I don't seem to make much progress. But I know that if I keep pushing myself, I will get better.

I bring the same mindset to my work. The way we serve our clients is evolving rapidly with the rise of AI. We use it daily to work more efficiently and deliver better results. But to keep my own mind sharp, I deliberately choose to learn some things the hard way.

Learning Kubernetes is one of those things. Sure, AI can generate Kubernetes manifests. But for my home lab, I write them by hand. That way, I learn from my mistakes and gain a deeper understanding of how Kubernetes actually works.

To me, being able to create from scratch — and to be creative while doing it — is very important. There’s something incredibly satisfying about bringing a piece of sheet music to life with your own hands, after hours of hard work.

In a world where shortcuts are everywhere and AI can do so much for us, choosing the harder path might seem inefficient. But for me, it’s essential. Struggling, making mistakes, and learning the long way gives me a kind of ownership and confidence that no generated answer ever could. I also think it builds character. It’s not about rejecting AI — it’s about knowing when not to use it, so I can keep growing, on my own terms.

Check out https://mountvollo.nl/blog where we share our view on software development.