AI can write all the code, but the hard part of software engineering was never the code
bendee983 · x · 2026-11-12
Responding to "AI will replace software engineers because it can write all the code," an engineer who once unlocked $10M+/year in profit with less than two weeks of code argues the code was never the hard part.
The hard parts took months: understanding a messy domain, pressure-testing assumptions with experts, working through edge cases, deciding what not to build, making risk/complexity/value tradeoffs and getting stakeholder sign-off. By the time most code was written, the real engineering was done.
Since most software serves humans — who are bad at articulating needs and feedback — engineers who understand the software, business, and customers remain essential. The role may evolve (perhaps merging into product management), but won't disappear.
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