“Code was never the hard part” is an insult to all programmers
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
The claim 'code was never the hard part' insults programmers by dismissing their craft.
The author argues that dismissing coding as easy ignores the high demand, salaries, stress, and bugs in software, as well as the reverence for figures like Carmack and Bellard. The hard part is both building and deciding what to build; both require skill. The piece advises adapting to change, investing in adjacent roles, and not outsourcing judgment to AI, listing resources like SICP and The Mom Test.
What commenters are saying
A top comment distinguishes "builders" who ship products from "engineers" who build technically sound software. Another says writing correct code is hard, and low supply due to IQ requirements kept salaries high. A reply notes product managers should handle customer interaction, not engineers. Critics call the article a rant from an AI consultant, but the author responds he has been a programmer since the 1990s and advocates adaptability, not blind AI adoption.