Write-Only Code

8 days ago

The concept of 'Write-Only Code' refers to production code that is never read by humans, not reviewed, skimmed, or tweaked.
AI is increasingly used to write code in enterprise teams, shifting the role of human engineers from writing and reviewing code to designing systems and managing constraints.
Recent advancements in AI model capabilities are breaking traditional software development lifecycle assumptions, enabling the production of complex software without line-by-line human review.
The role of software engineers is evolving towards reducing risk, focusing on system design, interfaces, and failure modes rather than manual code creation.
Historical parallels exist, such as the shift from hardware procurement bottlenecks to developer velocity, indicating that the industry adapts to new constraints over time.
Future practices may include 'code reading coverage' metrics and treating human code review as an expensive trade-off for critical subsystems only.
Engineers will take pride in building correct and resilient systems without needing to understand every line of code, shifting from 'I write code' to 'I build software.'
The transition to Write-Only Code requires new primitives for trust, accountability, and control, with successful organizations adapting early to these changes.

Hasty Briefsbeta