Why 'Tokenmaxxing' Was Always the Wrong Way for Developers to Measure AI Productivity
DevOps.com, Monday, August 24th, 2026
Drew Thompson argues measuring AI coding tools by token consumption is as flawed as counting lines of code.
Thompson argues that judging developer AI productivity by token usage repeats the old mistake of measuring lines of code as a proxy for value.
He proposes measuring outcomes relative to cost instead, such as vulnerabilities found per query or secure features shipped, rather than raw activity volume.
He warns that overly restrictive token budgets push developers to bypass governance using personal accounts, undermining oversight. The piece concludes mature AI programs should shift the core question from 'are we using it?' to 'is it actually working?'