SMRTR ProgrammingAug 4, 2026Hacker News

Pi Is Bad; Or, The Positive Effects of Friction in Automated Development

SMRTR summary

A developer compares two AI coding harnesses — Pi and Goose — after switching from Goose to try Pi. Pi is faster and more polished, but that speed caused context poisoning, missed MCP tool usage, and harder-to-steer sessions. Goose's slower, more opinionated design — with built-in steering tools and eager MCP loading — produces better, more reliable code despite feeling less impressive.

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