Terrible Software

terriblesoftware.org · Personal blog · on HN since 2024

An engineering manager writes about software careers, seniority, team dynamics, and how AI coding tools change engineering work.

What HN saysCommenters link its posts on AI and on simplicity as relevant and good on their own, in discussions about AI skepticism among engineers.
27HN people shared it
3linked it in comments
43stories submitted
2.8Kstory points
5 months agolast shared
2024people per year2026

Most-shared posts

  1. 1
    AI Can Write Your Code. It Can't Do Your Job
    6 people · 21 points · first shared 2025 · discussion on HN
  2. 2
    What Makes You Senior
    4 people · 78 points · first shared 2025 · 41 comments on HN
  3. 3
    Nobody Gets Promoted for Simplicity
    4 people · 5 points · first shared 2026 · 1 comments on HN
  4. 4
    "Good Taste" Is Just Experience
    3 people · 8 points · first shared 2026 · 1 comments on HN
  5. 5
    Life Happens at 1x Speed
    3 people · 6 points · first shared 2026 · 1 comments on HN
  6. 6
    I Still Write Code as an Engineering Manager
    3 people · 4 points · first shared 2026 · discussion on HN
  7. 7
    Why Your 'Harmonious' Team Is Failing
    2 people · 83 points · first shared 2025 · 64 comments on HN
  8. 8
    We've Been Here Before
    2 people · 6 points · first shared 2024 · discussion on HN
  9. 9
    Don't avoid workplace politics
    1 people · 594 points · first shared 2025 · 308 comments on HN
  10. 10
    Mistakes as a new manager
    1 people · 347 points · first shared 2024 · 148 comments on HN
  11. 11
    Strengths Are Your Weaknesses
    1 people · 346 points · first shared 2025 · 110 comments on HN
  12. 12
    The hidden cost of AI coding
    1 people · 341 points · first shared 2025 · 462 comments on HN
  13. 13
    Most Influential Papers in Computer Science History
    1 people · 335 points · first shared 2025 · 112 comments on HN
  14. 14
  15. 15
    "ChatGPT said this" Is Lazy
    1 people · 130 points · first shared 2025 · 157 comments on HN

What HN people wrote when they linked it

dkdcio · 2025-12-19
it’s linked in the blog, but the prior post is great on its own too: https://terriblesoftware.org/2025/12/11/ai-can-write-your-code-it-cant… it does seem like the skepticism is fading. I do think engineers that outright refuse to use AI (typically on some odd moral principle) are in for a bad time
diavelguru · 2025-12-27
I agree with this guy: https://obie.medium.com/what-happens-when-the-coding-becomes-the-least… When you look at the AI as having a Jr. Developer at your disposal to do the mundane things you actually elevate yourself higher than you could individually (without the help) as you focus more on architecture and design and guide the LLM to make incremental improvements instead of decremental ones. That's my take at least. This one also: https://terriblesoftware.org/2025/12/11/ai-can-write-your-code-it-cant…

Keyboard shortcuts

/Search
j kNext / previous blog
EnterOpen selected blog
vVisit the blog site
fFollow / unfollow
lSwitch grid / list view
dSwitch dark mode
g hHome
g pTop posts
g tTopics
g fFollowing
g lLiked
g yHistory
g qFAQ
EscBack / close