Devin 教你做 Agent：把 AI 当做需要指导的初级开发者

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of treating AI as a junior developer that requires clear guidance rather than a magical tool, highlighting the need for engineers to adapt their management style to effectively utilize programming agents [1][3][9] - Senior engineers are found to be the quickest adopters of these tools, which can save approximately 80% of time on medium to large tasks [1][8][24] Introduction - The article introduces a practical guide based on two years of experience building Devin, an autonomous programming agent, and aims to share valuable insights from customer feedback and internal practices [1][3] Getting Started: Basics and Daily Applications - Key principles for effective communication with agents include providing specific instructions, indicating starting points, anticipating potential errors, and establishing a feedback loop [10][11][13][15] - The guide suggests integrating agents into daily workflows to enhance personal efficiency, such as handling new requests without interrupting deep work and managing urgent issues on the go [17][19][20] Intermediate: Managing Complex Tasks - For complex tasks, the article recommends having agents draft initial versions and collaborating on implementation plans, while also setting checkpoints to ensure alignment with expectations [23][25][26] - It emphasizes the importance of teaching agents how to validate their work and increasing testing coverage in areas frequently modified by AI [28][29] Advanced: Automation and Customization - The article discusses creating automation templates for repetitive tasks and implementing intelligent code reviews using agents [30][33] - It highlights the need for a unified development environment to enhance agent performance and suggests building custom tools to empower agents [35][36] Practical Considerations: Embracing Change - The article outlines the limitations of autonomous agents, such as their debugging capabilities and knowledge cut-off dates, advising users to manage expectations and time effectively [39][42][43] - It concludes by asserting that the value of software engineers will not diminish, as deep technical knowledge and understanding of business codebases remain essential in the evolving landscape of software development [50]