During my PhD study, I observed how my adviser continued to code and experiment for his own projects, even after being very well established – tenured Stanford professor, computer graphics achievement award, etc.
After graduation I spent a decade in the industry as an engineer and researcher. For companies I worked for (NVIDIA and Microsoft), not coding feels worse than not talking (unless you are a manager).
Even when I consult (e.g. Lytro), I still opt to implement, even if the code cannot be shared due to IP reasons.
Thus, implementation has become an integral part of my workflow.
I found it the best way to (really) learn new topics, and more importantly a highly enjoyable process; I lose some mental balance without coding for more than a few days.
Maybe I am not smart enough, but I never understand why some CS people can get by without implementation.
For my past projects I either code with experienced collaborators, or leave it to the students for topics that I am already familiar with.
I have never code with a junior student in the same project, but I am starting that for a black-magic-like project.
I think this could be fun and mutually beneficial, and will report the experience later.
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