Claude Code, DevOps & Munger’s Machine Tool: Why You’d Be a Fool Not to Use AI

Everyone seems to have an opinion about AI tools like Claude Code, Copilot Chat, and Gemini CLI.

And a lot of that opinion boils down to one thing:

“You’re not learning if you use these tools.”

Let me be clear: that is nonsense.

Using these tools right is the best way to stay sharp in today’s DevOps landscape. And not using them? That’s the bigger risk.

As Charlie Munger once said:

“The company that needs a new machine tool and hasn’t bought it yet is already paying for it.”

If you’re still doing everything manually in your engineering workflows and ignoring AI tools because of some outdated sense of “purity” — you’re already paying the price. In time, stress, and missed opportunities.

AI Tools Aren’t the Problem — They’re the Multiplier

Let’s get one thing straight: Claude Code doesn’t replace experience, system-level thinking, or hard-won understanding.

But it does remove the friction that kills momentum.

It does let me offload boilerplate, scaffolding, and docs.
It does help me test ideas faster than ever before.

I treat it like a junior engineer who never gets tired, works 24/7, and doesn’t care how many times I change my mind.

But just like any junior, its value depends on how well I direct it.

Still Doing the Work — Just Not by Hand Anymore 😉

I’m not outsourcing my thinking. Far from it.

I’m studying for my CKA because I want deep Kubernetes knowledge. I still troubleshoot Terraform plans, rewrite Helm charts, and deal with real-world prod issues.

But write Helm charts by hand?
Well… not anymore 😉

If I can get Claude Code to draft 90% of it and I spend my time validating, customizing, and improving — that’s just smart. It’s not cheating — it’s leverage.

Don’t Confuse Tools With Talent

I’m not afraid of these tools. I’m afraid of engineers who stop thinking and follow them blindly. That’s the real risk — not the tools themselves.

If you’re using Claude Code as a vending machine and blindly copying code, that’s on you.

If you’re using it to interrogate, learn, and refine your thinking — you’re ahead of the game.

The better I get, the better my prompts get.
The better my prompts, the better the tool works.
It’s a feedback loop — and it’s accelerating.

Munger Was Right

Charlie Munger understood leverage. He understood when the cost of not using something far outweighs the price of adoption.

“The company that needs a new machine tool and hasn’t bought it yet is already paying for it.”

Well, I’d say the DevOps engineer who needs Claude Code and isn’t using it is already paying for it — in context switching, burnout, late nights, and wasted brainpower on things that could be automated.

The Bottom Line

AI tools are here. The landscape has changed. And the engineers who know how to think with these tools — not hide from them — are the ones who are going to win.

So no — don’t tell me not to use Claude Code.

You’d be a fool not to.