“Code was never the hard part” is an insult to all programmers

"Code was never the hard part" is an insult to all programmers

The author pushes back against the common AI-era refrain that coding is easy and the real challenge is deciding what to build. They argue this dismisses the skill and craft of programming, pointing out the high demand, rigorous interviews, and deep literature dedicated to it. They also challenge the idea that product management is harder, noting the lack of similar rigor for PMs. The piece calls for valuing both coding and understanding customer needs, and offers advice for adapting to industry changes.