The just-say-no engineer was a ZIRP phenomenon
3 hours ago
- The just-say-no engineer is a senior/staff engineer who blocks changes to maintain quality, contrasting with the just-say-yes engineer who prioritizes speed.
- During ZIRP (2008-2022), tech companies hired many engineers for low-risk projects, making the just-say-no engineer valuable to prevent chaos from excessive changes.
- After ZIRP ended, companies focused on productivity and profitability, reducing the need for gatekeepers; this shift is often misattributed to AI but is actually economic.
- AI-generated code adds pressure but is not the root cause; the just-say-no engineer's role was contingent on the ZIRP era.
- Just-say-no engineers still have a place in pure engineering domains like core infrastructure, but with limited scope compared to the 2010s.