We’re living in the age of LLMs and coding agents - tools like Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and various CLI assistants promise to accelerate our development workflow. And they do, most of the time. But there’s a catch: not every task is a good fit for delegation to these tools.
The Storyboard Refactoring Story
Recently, I needed to refactor some Storyboard files in an iOS app. (Yes! Im stuck with work app on Storyboard files) Since Storyboards are XML-based, I thought this would be a perfect task for Claude Code or similar tools. Text manipulation is what LLMs excel at, right?
Turns out, I was wrong.
The problem wasn’t the XML itself - it was everything around it. Xcode project files have their own special format. They maintain complex references between files, build configurations, and project settings. Interface Builder has specific constraints about how UI elements can be structured. Breaking any of these invisible rules means your project either won’t build or will crash at runtime with cryptic errors.
I spent more time debugging the LLM’s output, fixing broken references, and troubleshooting build errors than I would have spent doing the refactoring myself. When I finally gave up and did it manually, it took about 5 minutes.
When LLMs Struggle
Three patterns trip them up:
- Tight file formats: Xcode projects, Storyboards, and other bespoke files crash if a single reference goes missing.
- Toolchain nuance: An LLM hasn’t spent years with Xcode, Gradle, or your CI, so it misses the small switches that keep things running.
- Tiny chores: If you can do it in minutes, the prompt-review-fix loop is slower than typing it yourself.
The Real Skill
Before delegating, run through a fast checklist:
- Does this rely on niche tooling or hidden rules?
- Can I finish it in under 10 minutes solo?
- Will I spend more time vetting the output than producing it?
Any yes means I stay hands-on.