Yes, I mean now, not later, right now! There are several reasons why you should do the dishes as soon as you finish using them, during cooking or right after, before you sit down to eat:

1. Most food tends to wash off the easiest right after you’re done cooking. Most cooked food is at least a little greasy and that grease will come off right away with almost no detergent, but if you let it rest and cool, you’ll be pumping detergent into that pan and scrubbing several times before you’re satisfied that it’s gone. Grease gets nasty if you let it settle, so don’t. Btw this is just as true for fruit.
2. You are not keen to look at food, and especially leftovers, after you eat. Food is the last thing on your mind after a meal, and doing the dishes is a little icky (and the level of ickyness increases the longer you wait), even though you know you ate this a little while ago. If you wash dishes right after you stop using them you’re still in the spirit of making food, so it feels natural.
3. If you get into the habit of doing dishes as part of cooking, you don’t have that extra chore to do later.

Not to mention that time-to-clean-dishes is greatly reduced, because they get washed right after use and don’t contribute to stacks in the sink. Everyone wins.