On those complex systems in particular the problems start long before any code is written.
A software engineer can create and understand the specs, requirements, design the system, architectural decisions, define everything about that software and data, model everything, failure, performance, operational topics, documents everything, etc. before a single line of code is written, and of course they can write good code. Then there are the coders who patch together chunks of code from Stack Overflow or whatever boilerplate they have in the company's repository. I know every coder likes to call themselves a "software engineer" but there's a world of difference between the two types.
For the first group code was never the hardest part. For the second group there was never any other part.
Some architecture work and design will be done beforehand, but many details will fall into place as the code is being written, thrown away, adapted, etc.
The idea that code is mere transcription - which I see a lot in these AI discussions - is completely false. Code is a form of low-level design and is where the rubber hits the road.
The best requirements, designs, marketing, etc are worth jack if one fucks up the code. The code is the actual product.
Which part of my list was just "a detail" to be dealt with at some point in the lifecycle (but only if you're not too busy shipping features) for you? You're laying bricks before knowing if the wall's supposed to be concrete.
> Code is a form of low-level design and is where the rubber hits the road.
Sure but in keeping with your analogy tires are fungible across most cars and it takes minutes to change one if you picked the wrong compound. It takes years to properly design a tire, not to speak of everything that sits on top of those tires. By the time you actually "meet the road" you already defined to a tee what you want to achieve from every perspective and everything you do is to meet that goal, even if you have to make tweaks. You don't find out if it's a scooter or a roadster tire while working on it.
> The best requirements, designs, marketing, etc are worth jack if one fucks up the code.
Why are you mixing some fundamental things which are essential and can't be changed along the way without massive effort and risk, if at all, with things like marketing?
Do you want to aimlessly write code while chasing a target that moves randomly and conflicting because your plan was to define things "at some point"? You're really making my point with your insistence that it's all about code and every other fundamental thing is "a detail" that just comes along the way.
There's a conflation too that to approach things with this level of thought and care requires waterfall design (it doesn't), so people shrug it off or resist because if you want to think carefully and design thoughtfully you can't also Move Fast and Break Things.
Ironically, we all complain about enshittification.
Fixing bugs, improving performance, paying down technical debt all require this as well, which makes them significantly more difficult to actually implement.
Yes. Once it is true, the code is easy to write. But only because a lot of effort went into making it easy. And keeping it easy is also hard. Without focused effort to keep the code clean and easy to modify, it starts to rot.
I don't think you're really disagreeing with the original sentiment? However, I think you're taking a much broader view of "code" than is intended by the original statement.
In your framing, you're kind of confounding code with architecture. Code is really just the act of making a computer do a thing you want it to do, for some definition of "thing you want it to do". Architecture is more about understanding which things you want the computer to do, and in which ways.
There are a million ways to code a task. That's the "code" the original statement is talking about. Understanding which of those ways is an appropriate way is a separate skill, whether you call it architecture, or something else.
The $480M bug that killed a trading company in 12 secs
Challenger
Probably a bunch of stories from healthcare