Code has always been the easy part

4 days ago

Code has always been the easy part of software development.
Etsy's team was stuck in a rewrite cycle until standardizing on PHP unlocked progress.
The tech industry has long fetishized code quality over system value and customer needs.
Technical hiring has improved but was historically flawed, focusing on irrelevant coding tests.
Recent advancements in AI and frontier models are drastically reducing the cost of producing code.
The plummeting cost of code is forcing teams to rethink workflows and social contracts.
Previous tech shifts (web, mobile, ML) also disrupted team dynamics, requiring new ways of working.
Leaders must creatively integrate humans into processes as AI changes the landscape.
Skepticism toward AI is reasonable due to hype and amoral capital influences in tech.
Many in tech feel a sense of loss as coding becomes less central, but older techies recall its earlier chaotic, agency-driven appeal.

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