Most developers are using AI to write code. Very few are using it the right way. The difference isn’t the tool- it’s how you think, structure, and validate your work. Here are 5 practices that turn AI from a shortcut into a real engineering advantage. 1. Spec before you prompt Don’t start with “build X.” Start with a clear spec: intent, constraints, and what “done” looks like. AI works best when the problem is well-defined. 2. Context engineering > prompt engineering Output quality depends more on context than wording. Provide the right information at the right time: project rules, architecture, and constraints-not full history or noise. 3. Use the Plan → Execute → Verify loop Don’t treat AI as one-shot. Break work into steps: plan the approach, generate code, then review and refine with specific feedback. 4. Testing is the foundation AI-generated code often looks correct but isn’t. Define tests first, then generate code to pass them. This ensures correctness before implement...