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

The author argues that dismissing coding as "easy" while claiming the hard part of software development is understanding requirements is insulting to programmers, given their historical high demand, rigorous training requirements, and the complexity evident in foundational computer science texts. The piece challenges the assumption that non-coding aspects of software development (product management, understanding customer needs) are inherently harder, pointing out inconsistencies in how these roles are valued and compensated compared to developers. The author contends there is no "median programmer" with uniform priorities—developers have diverse interests ranging from customer empathy to theoretical computer science—and suggests the debate oversimplifies the multifaceted nature of software development work.