Junior developers measure productivity in lines of code written.
Senior developers measure it in lines of code deleted.
Here's the counterintuitive truth: The best developers write less code, not more.
Code Is a Liability
Every line of code you write:
→ Needs to be maintained → Needs to be tested → Needs to be secured → Needs to be understood by future developers → Can introduce bugs → Can create performance issues → Can become technical debt
Code isn't an asset. It's a liability.
The best solution is the one that solves the problem with the least amount of new code.
The "Write Less Code" Mindset
Before writing code, the best developers ask:
→ Does a library already solve this? Don't reinvent authentication, date parsing, or CSV handling. → Can the framework do this? Most frameworks have built-in solutions for common patterns. → Does an API exist? Use Stripe instead of building payment processing. → Can we buy this? Off-the-shelf components beat custom code. → Do we actually need this? Sometimes the best code is no code.
Writing code should be the last resort, not the first.
Real-World Example
Client wanted a custom reporting dashboard.
Junior approach: Build custom charts, data aggregation, export functionality, caching layer. 2,000+ lines of code.
Senior approach: Embed a Metabase dashboard with API authentication. 50 lines of code.
Same outcome. 40x less code to maintain.
When to Write Code
Write code when:
→ It's your core differentiator → No suitable library exists → Third-party solutions create unacceptable dependencies → The problem is truly unique to your domain
Everything else? Use existing solutions.
The Deletion Habit
The best codebases I've worked on had aggressive deletion habits:
→ Remove dead code regularly → Consolidate duplicate logic → Replace custom code with standard libraries → Simplify complex abstractions → Delete unused features
Every pull request that has more deletions than additions makes me happy.
The Real Skill
Anyone can add code. That's easy.
The hard skills:
→ Knowing what libraries to trust → Designing systems that need less code → Recognizing when custom code isn't necessary → Having the discipline to delete working code that's no longer needed
The best developers aren't the ones who write the most code. They're the ones who write the least code that still solves the problem.
What's the biggest chunk of code you deleted recently?
#softwaredevelopment #engineering #coding #bestpractices
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Philip Rehberger Founder, ScopeForged scopeforged.com
