Your Playbook by Role

This is your quick reference slide, because the same tool gives different superpowers depending on where you sit.

For juniors and learners, the primary mode is Ask Mode.
You use it for debugging guidance, code explanations, and learning patterns. And the burnout mitigation is huge: it combats imposter syndrome and builds confidence without social cost. You can ask the question the moment you have it, instead of waiting, guessing, and spiraling.

For mid level developers, the primary combo is Edit plus Plan.
Edit helps you tackle tech debt in bite sized pieces without breaking flow. Plan helps you scope features and avoid perfectionism paralysis. Together they reduce rework and prevent scope creep, which is where a lot of stress hides.

For seniors and leads, the primary mode is Agent Mode.
This is about becoming the conductor, not every instrument. Use it for multi file refactors, automated review style work, CI and CD chores, and encoding standards with something like a Spec Kit. The burnout mitigation here is addressing expanded scope. Orchestrate, do not do everything yourself.

And for engineering managers, the primary combo is Plan plus Agent.
Plan creates clarity around requirements and tradeoffs. Agent helps with repeatable automation like checks, reviews, and guardrails. The burnout mitigation is reducing that ‘juggling too many people and fires’ feeling, and creating breathing room for coaching, not just reacting.

So the takeaway is simple: match the mode to the moment, and match the moment to the person.
That is how you get productivity gains without creating a new kind of chaos.