Don't Throw Away Your Prompts - They're the Real Source Code

aiprogrammingsoftware-engineering

Prompts are often discarded after generating code, leaving the true intent behind the code untracked. This is akin to shredding source code and cherishing the binary.

We’re doing it backwards. We carefully version control the output (generated code) but throw away the input (the prompt/spec that captured our intent).

The fix: treat your specifications as the real source code. Version them, refine them, debate them. The generated code is just a compiled artifact—disposable, regeneratable. The spec is what matters.

This reframes everything:

• Source code = your prompts and specifications
• Compiled artifact = the generated code
• Version control = should track the specs, not just the output

If you can regenerate the code from a prompt, the prompt is the source of truth. Preserve it.

Reference: Sean Grove’s talk “The New Code”