In the past six months, developers have raced to “agentify” every process they can think of, turning simple scripts into autonomous AI workers. Steve Yegge calls it “agentic software building,” and he warns that it’s genuinely addictive. As you get better at chaining prompts and APIs, you get a rush of dopamine and adrenaline. Yegge compares it to a vampire: the more you feed it, the deeper it sinks its teeth in, leaving you craving the next fix. Part of the push comes from an idea called “permanent underclass theory.” Basically, if you don’t adopt AI now, you risk being priced out later. On top of that, startups and big tech alike are pushing employees to “do more” with agents. The combination of FOMO and employer pressure turns experimentation into an all-nighter marathon. According to Yegge, founders and CEOs need to set a different pace—otherwise everyone on their team ends up burned out and hitting mental walls. There’s hard research to back up the need for a break. MIT recently found that heavy use of large language models can erode critical thinking and deep analysis. Exeter University Professor Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen adds that while AI can produce more content faster, humans still outshine machines at truly novel ideas. Stepping away from your code and prompt chains isn’t just a mental health break; it’s a way to keep your creative edge sharp. So here’s the practical takeaway: build with agents, but don’t let them run your life. Schedule daily “touch grass” moments—close your laptop, take a walk, do something that involves real-world input. Your AI workers will be ready when you get back, but your brain needs that off-screen time to stay inventive and critical.