The reality of working in tech: We're not hired to write code (2023)

Business outcomes vs writing code

• Many comments agree with the article’s core idea: developers are hired to achieve business goals, not to write code per se.
• Analogies: NASCAR drivers are hired to win races, researchers to publish papers, surgeons to heal patients. Code is a tool, not the objective.
• However, several people push back that this can be overstated: you still hire a driver to drive, and you don’t get to unilaterally decide to “be the CEO instead of coding.”

Minimizing code and using existing tools

• Strong theme: “code is a liability.” Good engineers try to solve problems with as little new code as possible.
• Examples: use Remote Desktop instead of building remote control software; use WordPress or an off‑the‑shelf CMS instead of rolling your own, unless there’s a clear reason not to.
• Surgery metaphor: only “operate” (write code) when absolutely necessary, and do the minimum. Many praise deleting or compressing code as higher skill.

Roles, requirements, and communication

• Debate over whether engineers should also act as business analysts: some say that’s scope creep; others say translating messy requirements into correct software inherently demands domain thinking.
• Several note that developers are often isolated from customers and only handed pre‑digested tickets, which undermines the “problem solver” ideal.
• Mentoring advice emphasizes understanding the problem and trade‑offs, not just frameworks or LeetCode.

Engineering ethics and accountability

• Thread explores whether software should be regulated like other engineering disciplines, especially when code can kill or cause major financial harm.
• Some want liability and autonomy similar to licensed engineers; others argue software’s low stakes and rapid change make that unlikely except in safety‑critical domains.
• Long sub‑discussion compares unpredictability and change in civil/mechanical vs software engineering, with no consensus.

Incentives, management, and pay

• Officially, companies hire developers to make money; in practice, they often prioritize process adherence (RTO, hierarchy) over actual value creation.
• Complaints, especially from Europe/Netherlands, that programmers are paid and ranked below managers and “humanities” roles, and can only earn more by leaving coding for management.
• Observations that organizations promote the “well‑rounded” devs out of development, then wonder why remaining devs “don’t get it.”

LLMs, “vibe coding,” and volume

• Some see “vibe coding” and LLM‑driven development as a logical response when code quality isn’t valued; just ship slop the business can’t distinguish.
• One practitioner notes staff engineers running multiple AI‑driven branches in parallel, with CI breakage and incoherent conventions as the cost of higher volume.
• Others resist this shift, preferring slower, higher‑quality code they deeply understand.