I Hated Every Coding Agent, So I Built My Own — Mario Zechner (Pi)

Mario Zechner shares his journey and observations regarding coding agents, focusing on their evolution and shortcomings. He begins by recounting the early days of coding agents like Claude Code, noting its initial simplicity and effectiveness before it became overly complex with unnecessary features. Zechner critiques Claude Code's lack of transparency in context management and UI issues. He then explores alternative coding harnesses such as AMP and OpenCode, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses, particularly regarding context management and security. Zechner introduces Pi, his own solution, designed with a minimalist, extensible core that allows users to adapt the agent to their specific needs. He emphasizes the importance of experimentation and control in coding agent design, advocating for a more user-centric approach.