The Embodied Experience of Programming: A Programmer's Synesthesia
The author describes the visceral sensations evoked by different programming languages: nested parentheses in C-like languages feel like walking a tightrope, functional programming like crawling through caves, and writing firmware like precise, constrained work. Using Copilot and TypeScript feels like flying, while returning to typeless Python feels like stumbling drunk. The author argues this code synesthesia, while subtle, is common and influences code comprehension and system design. While this feeling might not directly improve coding efficiency, it's incredibly useful in understanding how startups work, helping the author identify critical parts and missing connections. The author concludes by suggesting that great code editors should leverage the sensory intuitions of excellent engineers, improving how code is displayed to enhance the programming experience.