Your framework is a crutch
1 min read
Every week there's a new JavaScript framework, a new agent framework, a new "batteries included" solution. Developers are addicted to abstractions they don't understand. The best builders use the least framework they can get away with. Pointers:
- The framework churn problem: by the time you learn one, three new ones exist. This isn't progress, it's distraction
- Frameworks optimize for demos, not maintenance. The 5-minute setup becomes the 5-month migration
- The agent framework parallel: LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen — most add complexity without adding capability
- Connect to Pi's "4 tools only" philosophy: constraints force clarity
- Understanding the layer below your framework is what separates senior from junior engineers
- Vibe coding makes this worse: you can ship with a framework you've never read the source of
- The pragmatist's rule: use a framework when the problem is well-understood, use primitives when it's not
- What frameworks are actually good at: community, ecosystem, hiring signal. What they're bad at: long-term flexibility
Avoid:
- Don't be anti-framework for the sake of it — some (React, Express) earned their place
- Don't frame this as "real programmers don't use frameworks" gatekeeping