Software engineering: 50% understanding requirements, 40% complexity management, 9% debugging, 1% solving "interesting" algorithmic problems. You'll enjoy software engineering a whole lot more if you instead think of the first 99% as the interesting part.

Apr 13, 2022 · 5:14 PM UTC

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Replying to @gdb
Agree. It helped me establish a better mindset when I realized that software engineering was more about maintenance than creation.
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Replying to @gdb
Also, a lot less debugging if you add testing to this list.
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Replying to @gdb
That first 50% is slept on like linen sheets
Replying to @gdb
And still all developers code first... 😅
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Replying to @gdb
Wow yeah this is accurate. Somedays 100% just trying to understand requirements…
Replying to @gdb
In contrast, a lot of job interviews seemingly are focused on this 1%.
Replying to @gdb
What’s the ratio between software engineering, ML engineering, and ML research at OpenAI?
Replying to @gdb
I was a software engineer for about 45 years. 1975 to 2010 or thereabouts. Mainframes to minis to micros to Internet. Never made it to smartphones or ML. Really wish I had been around for AI.
Replying to @gdb
This is so true that I got excited about this post.
Replying to @gdb
I'd add that 90+% of (software) engineering is about a - by many (software) engineers dreaded - topic: process. Yes, process.
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