Why bad engineers write bad code: a brief analysis

Key Points

They're Actually Not Bad:

• Many poor results don't come from bad engineers per se. Weak management, weak technical leadership, and high pressure lead to bad code.

Garbage In, Garbage Out:

• The saying holds true. If you have bad processes, culture, and management, even good engineers will produce bad results.

Impedance Mismatch:

• Sometimes, a good engineer just doesn't fit well into a company. They may thrive in another environment with different values and approaches.

Money, Money, Money:

• The software industry has grown explosively, attracting many who are more interested in high salaries than in learning and improving their skills.

Growth Pains:

• Rapid industry growth means many people are unprepared, and best practices aren't well adopted. This leads to a lot of "reinventing the wheel" and subpar results.

Nonuniformity of Industry:

• Different projects require different approaches. What works in one area of software may be detrimental in another. Engineers moving between these areas can bring the wrong lessons.

Summary

The main contributors to bad outcomes are not bad engineers, but rather bad companies and individuals who aren't interested in improving.