Coding Sideways: Why the Best Developers Are Running 20+ AI Agents at Once
Software development is undergoing a structural shift.
For decades, coding followed a linear mental model: write a function, test it, refactor it, move on.
Today, a new model is emerging: parallel orchestration.
Using tmux, experienced developers are spawning dozens of AI agents concurrently. One agent writes boilerplate. Another audits security. Another tests performance edge cases. Another drafts integration code. Another builds documentation.
Instead of writing every line manually, the developer designs intent and supervises execution.
This is not automation replacing the engineer.
It is amplification.
Cognitive Adaptation
This shift forces the human brain to adapt.
Instead of deep focus on a single file, developers must:
- Manage multiple partial states.
- Resist the urge to intervene.
- Think in systems rather than functions.
- Design workflows instead of scripts.
It feels less like writing code and more like managing a distributed cluster of cognitive workers.
Those who succeed in this environment are not just good programmers.
They are effective orchestrators.
Is This the Future?
There are valid concerns:
- Does heavy AI concurrency erode deep understanding?
- Does it create technical debt faster?
- Can teams adopt this without fragmenting standards?
Yet the productivity gains are difficult to ignore.
The question is not whether AI will be used.
It is whether developers will learn to manage it effectively.
Building This Inside an Organisation
Most teams experiment casually with AI.
Very few build structured concurrent AI workflows.
There is a difference between “using AI” and building a repeatable, scalable AI operating system for your development process.
If you want to explore how to:
- Design multi-agent tmux workflows
- Build notification and orchestration layers
- Architect prompts as composable units
- Train teams to think concurrently
I work with technical teams and founders on implementing high-leverage AI development systems.
You can learn more at danielmolloy.com.
If this direction interests you, reach out. The shift from linear coding to concurrent orchestration is only just beginning.