tech
February 21, 2026
The dark factory is real, most developers are getting slower, and your org chart is the bottleneck (plus 5 prompts to get from level 2 to 5)
Three engineers at StrongDM run a software factory where no human writes code and no human reviews code. The system takes specifications written in markdown, builds the software, tests it against behavioral scenarios, and produces shippable artifacts. The humans approve outcomes.
TL;DR
- StrongDM operates a software factory with no human coding or code reviews, using AI to build and test software from markdown specifications.
- Anthropic's Claude Code has 90% of its codebase written by AI, with some workflows nearing full AI implementation.
- A study found experienced developers were 19% slower using AI tools, despite believing they were faster.
- Frontier teams have rebuilt workflows around precise human specifications, making the human role about describing what should exist, not writing code.
- Many 'AI-native' developers are still reviewing AI code, while 'dark factory' teams have moved past this step.
- The 'dark factory' requires engineers skilled in clear thinking, precise specification, and outcome evaluation, a different role than traditional coding.
- Organizational structures designed for human coding can become friction in an AI-driven workflow.
- The rise of the 'dark factory' impacts junior developer employment, the career ladder, and the definition of a 'good engineer'.
Continue reading
the original article