Code Is Cheap. Engineering Judgement Is Now the Scarce Resource

Towards Data Science / 6/3/2026

💬 OpinionIdeas & Deep Analysis

Key Points

  • As the cost of producing software and building systems keeps dropping, the primary constraints are moving from creation to what happens after code is written.
  • Organizations now need to focus more on ownership structures, rigorous validation, and decision-making about what should exist in the product or platform.
  • “Engineering judgement” is becoming a scarce capability because it involves prioritization, taste, and assessing trade-offs beyond pure implementation.
  • The shift implies that competitive advantage depends less on raw coding capacity and more on higher-level engineering practices and governance.

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