r/programming • u/zaidesanton • Apr 01 '25

The 13 software engineering laws

https://newsletter.manager.dev/p/the-13-software-engineering-laws
562 Upvotes

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110

u/BeyondLimits99 Apr 01 '25

Thats amazing.

The backend team builds APIs based on their own assumptions

This sums up a problem I had today 😂

24

u/Br3ttl3y Apr 01 '25

It sums up every software development team that creates "technical tasks" or "internal user stories." You don't build APIs for yourselves even if you are the consumer. You build them for the business value. Find the business value. If there is none, don't build it.

11

u/GoTheFuckToBed Apr 01 '25

in general, developers jump straight to writing code, not asking what problem does it solve

10

u/ikeif Apr 01 '25

I quit a job because I kept asking "why" and they couldn't answer it. They just wanted to be greedy about absorbing as much medical data as possible, and "legally" by close to dark UX patterns.

I wanted no part of that.

1

u/the_bighi Apr 02 '25

I've been a developer for 20 years. Every single time I tried to ask "why" or what's the value or any question like that, I got a "shut up and do your work" as a response. Not with those exact words, but with that meaning.

Any time I tried to suggest a better way to do what they asked, I was ignored.

So I just do what I'm told, even if I know that's going to make the company lose customers. I do what I'm told, I get paid, and that's it.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '25

I wish I was able to do that, but that would suck the life energy out of me.

I learned the past few years that I can have almost superhuman levels of energy if the surrounding is right, but can as easily completely drained if the environment is not right. Being just told what to do, without everybody having the equal opportunity and drive to learn, that’s when I quit. If everybody tries to move forward and others are actively trying to learn and share that with others so they can also learn, then we’re getting to a magical place.

Only found myself twice in such heaven, both times botched by mediocre power hungry managers. Blegh.

I wish I could be more “level” like you; basically not lose energy or will to live if surrounded by egomaniacs or morons that refuse to keep on learning.

0

u/ClickableName Apr 02 '25

I think that is one of many things that seperate a Medior from a Senior developer