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I have developed a rule of thumb for when it's best to code by hand. If I don't understand the problem super well, I'll start digging in with an agent and gaining familiarity. If the solution after 10-15m isn't something that I feel I could implement myself, it's time to go do it by hand.

I do it the way I did pre-AI. Finding the relevant code, reading and understanding it, and trying out various ideas. Usually when I'm about 30-50% done, the system is mapped out really well in my mind, and all that remains is execution.

Then I'll write up a detailed spec and ask the agent for feedback. It almost always finds edge cases I didn't consider and "gets" where I'm going with it. I let the agent take it forward and also have it do the things I usually don't have patience for, like TDD. The grunt work.

What's nice is that I am fully qualified to review the code afterward and, not only that, any future agentic work on that system is easier. I understand it better because I did the manual work.