The Digital Press

Writing code itself has never been the main bottleneck in software development; instead, understanding, reviewing, and coordinating around code remain the biggest challenges. While large language models (LLMs) speed up code generation, they shift complexity toward ensuring trust, quality, and maintainability.

Why it matters: Faster code generation increases volume but raises challenges in verifying and understanding code effectively within teams.

The big picture: Software engineering bottlenecks lie in human coordination, knowledge transfer, testing, and debugging — not just writing code.

The stakes: Ignoring the complexity of review and trust risks lower code quality and slower overall progress despite faster coding.

Commenters say: Many agree writing code is the easiest part; the hardest issues are communication, legacy systems, and shared understanding.