In partnership with
What distracts you most when using AI coding tools?
WTF is token maxxing?: Token maxxing is when people treat high AI usage as progress.
You are working on the main project.
It is slow.
There are boring fixes, unclear bugs, half-finished flows, old decisions, and things you do not want to touch.
Then a new idea appears.
A small app.
A dashboard.
A plugin.
A tool for your own workflow.
Before AI coding agents, that idea had friction. You had to set up the repo, write boilerplate, choose packages, design the UI, debug the first errors, and spend half a day before the idea even felt alive.
Now you can open Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent and say:
Build this quickly.The new thing starts moving in five minutes.
That is the trap.
Agentic coding makes serious work faster and distraction cheaper.
I am Alex, welcome to ShortCu8 by Innov8.
Lets Dive Deep 🐰
⭐Today's Shortcut
Use AI heavily inside the main project.
Be careful when AI makes you start another project.
That is the line.
Running many agents on one serious project can be useful. One agent can write tests. One can check docs. One can inspect errors. One can review the diff.
The problem starts when you leave the main project because a new idea gives a cleaner high🚬 .
Use this rule:
If it supports the main project, call it a tool.
If it replaces the main project, call it a side quest.Why Side Quests Feel Better
The main project has weight.
You know the broken parts.
You know the hard decisions.
You know the old code you do not want to open.
A new AI-built project has none of that history.
It gives three quick hits:
Fresh start:
No old decisions yet.
Fast progress:
The agent can create files immediately.
Fake completion:
A working demo feels like a finished product.That is why it feels so good.
You are not lazy.
Your tools removed the starting friction.
Now you need a filter before the agent begins.
The Side Quest Filter
Before starting a new AI-built project, ask this:
1. Does this support my main project this week?
2. Can it be finished in under 2 hours?
3. Will I use it tomorrow?
4. Is this still useful if AI cannot build it fast?
5. What main-project task am I avoiding?If the idea fails three or more questions, do not build it today.
Park it.
Parking protects the main project without killing the idea.
Create SIDE_QUESTS.md
Make one file:
SIDE_QUESTS.mdUse this template:
Idea:
Why it feels exciting:
Main project it supports:
Time box:
What I am avoiding:
Review date:
Decision:Example:
Idea:
Build a tiny AI dashboard for newsletter ideas.
Why it feels exciting:
It feels easier than finishing today's issue.
Main project it supports:
Maybe ShortCu8, but not urgently.
Time box:
2 hours max.
What I am avoiding:
Writing the final article.
Review date:
Friday.
Decision:
Park it.This file works because it gives the idea somewhere to go.
You do not have to trust your brain to remember it.
You also do not have to give Codex a fresh repo every time your brain wants novelty.
When To Build The Side Quest
Some side quests are real.
Build it when:
it directly supports the main project
it has a clear user
it can be tested today
it removes repeated work
it has a hard time boxDo not build it when:
it only feels exciting
it avoids a boring main task
it needs a new brand, repo, stack, and roadmap
it will create another thing to maintain
you cannot explain how it helps this weekThe phrase "this week" matters.
A useful tool for someday is usually a side quest today.
Why This Is Real
There is research behind the feeling.
Business Insider wrote about AI sprawl and tokenmaxxing: people and companies using more AI tools and tokens without always getting better coordinated work.
Agentic coding makes that easier because starting work is cheap. But the cost moves somewhere else: attention, review time, tokens, maintenance, and context switching.
A study of software developers found that task switching can damage flow and create cognitive cost. Another industry replication found that bigger context switches make it harder to return to the previous task.
Agentic coding adds a new kind of self-interruption.
No one forced you to start the side project.
The tool just made it easy enough to say yes.
The Main Project Rule
Use this before opening a new agent session:
Can this run move my main project forward today?If yes, start it.
If no, write it in SIDE_QUESTS.md.
Then go back to the main thing.
Use AI to build the thing you already decided matters
The valuable space is not the loading bar.
The valuable space is the moment between:
I gave the agent workand:
Now I need to verify what came backThat gap is new.
Today, most people waste it.
They switch chats, check phone, scroll X, open another task, or wait for the done notification.
So the question is not only:
Can we show an ad while the agent works?The better question is:
What should help the developer return sharper?Now go build something great..🙂🙂
The ShortList
🛠️Cool Tools of the Week:
Claude Design: Anthropic's design tool now remembers your context and stays on-brand across projects.
ChatGPT: OpenAI's flagship chatbot updated the way users take and upload photos on iOS.
Cohere North Mini Code: In an update, the company released 4-bit quant, its first open-source agentic coding model small enough to be run on a Mac.
Codex: OpenAI's coding platform can now hand off project threads between local and remote hosts.
📩 Innathe Shortcu8 engane undarunnu 👇️?
We read every reply - just reply to this email and let us know how we can improve !
Appo adutha Shortcu8il kanaam bie…👋
If you read till here, you might find this interesting
#AD1
The ones showing up in LLMs convert 3× better than Google
They optimized for LLMs, not just Google.
FAQs. Comparison pages. Transparent pricing. LinkedIn presence. These aren't vanity plays. They're what gets you cited in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude when your buyers are researching, your investors are looking, and your future hires are deciding where to work.
Download the free AEO Playbook for Startups from HubSpot and get the exact checklist. Five minutes to read.
#AD2
Your accounting should keep pace with your business. BELAY's Financial Experts handle books, payroll, and reporting so you can lead with confidence. Download the Free Guide