# Automating Everything That Doesn't Need Me

DevFeed: [Automating Everything That Doesn't Need Me](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/automating-everything-that-doesn-t-need-me-32354.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://joshtronic.com/2026/07/05/automating-what-doesnt-need-me/>)

Author: Josh Sherman

Published: 2026-07-05T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Josh Sherman](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/josh-sherman.md>)

Topics: [agentic-coding](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/agentic-coding.md>), [Automation](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/automation.md>), [AI Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai-development.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>)

Tags: [agentic-coding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agentic-coding.md>), [automation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/automation.md>), [code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code.md>), [coding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coding.md>), [deploy](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/deploy.md>), [monitoring](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/monitoring.md>), [projects](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/projects.md>), [side-projects](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/side-projects.md>), [trust](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/trust.md>)

## AI overview

The author describes an ongoing experiment in using a personal agent and automation to reduce human involvement across side-project workflows, including design, coding, review, merging, deployment, and monitoring. Trust is built through repeated supervised iterations, with tests and intervention when the agent fails.

## Source excerpt

I've been writing a lot about LLMs, AI (or the so-called "Artificial Intelligence") and the like. Part of that is because I haven't been running into many problems that I feel need documenting. Bigger part is because I'm finding that "how-to" content is easy to slop with a robot, so I'd rather write about things that the clankers can't. In a word, I'm just trying to write more human. While I don't think I've achieved full tokenmaxxing AI psychosis levels yet, I do like agentic coding. I'm also a huge proponent for automation. If it comes up regularly, it should be automated. If it can't be fully automated, then it should at least be partially automated. If I don't need to be materially involved, then I shouldn't be involved at all. My latest foray into building my own agent has included a refocus around trying to automate any and everything that I can. I still consider this to be an experiment more than me drinking any sort of Kool-Aid. Similar motives to my push for a dumber home, if I need to be involved, then it doesn't need to be smart. Well if I don't need to be involved, it should be automated. That's led me down a rabbit hole of trying to be less and less involved with certain things. Keep in mind, this is an experiment against my personal agent, and my myriad of smaller side projects. Most of the work is code based, so that includes writing a spec and/or design, slinging code, reviewing it, merging it, and deploying it. Most of that chain doesn't need me at all. Robots can take my half baked idea and turn it into a design spec. They can generate code that's coherent enough. Then they can review the code. I get to play gatekeeper and make them wait for my approval. From there, they can worry about merging it in and monitoring the deploy. I measure success on my agentic game loops by how much trust I have in the output that I'm reviewing. Run the loop enough times with a watchful eye, I can see where it fucks up. We iterate, and repeat the process. Usually wit