"Code Was Never the Hard Part" Is an Insult to All Programmers
ssh4net · x · 2026-08-10
As AI coding tools proliferate, a common tech narrative suggests that "writing code was never the hard part" of software development. Author Senko Rašić strongly pushes back against this view, calling it a gross insult to all programmers.
Through a series of pointed rhetorical questions, the article highlights the inherent difficulty of coding: If programming is trivial, why have developers commanded high salaries and been in fierce demand for years? Why do we rely on foundational texts like Clean Code or require rigorous leetcode interviews? And if figuring out what to build is the true bottleneck, why do so many product managers seem clueless?
Rašić argues that dismissing the complexity of code undermines the deep expertise, sweat, and professional identity of developers, ignoring the harsh realities of software engineering.
Related event: Rebutting "Coding Was Never Hard": Engineering Reflections in the AI Era(5 posts)→
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