Very few will admit it, but in the software industry, there is a strong undercurrent of resentment between many non-technical business leaders and their engineers. This friction isn't about personality clashes; it's born from a fundamental misunderstanding of the engineering role.
The Flawed View: Engineers as Barriers
For some leaders, engineers are seen as barriers to the implementation of their ideas. This assumption is built on a few common, flawed beliefs:
- That engineers exist simply to translate a fully-formed vision into code.
- That when an engineer pushes back with feasibility issues, they are being negative or uncooperative.
- That when they introduce additional requirements to meet architectural or security standards, they are "gold-plating" or slowing things down unnecessarily.
This underlying view of engineers as mere "task-doers" instead of expert collaborators is the source of the tension. It treats the engineering discipline as a factory assembly line, not a creative, problem-solving partnership.
How Resentment Manifests as Bad Policy
This flawed perspective isn't just a feeling; it translates directly into damaging and misplaced organizational policies.
- Misguided Metrics: Leaders may impose quotas or goals (like lines of code or tickets closed) that don't correlate to meaningful results, creating a culture of manipulation.
- Micromanagement: A lack of trust in the process leads to a desire for control, manifesting as arbitrary in-office rules or constant status checks.
- Devaluation: Engineering is often the first to face budget cuts or churn because the high price tags for talent and infrastructure are seen as a cost center, not an investment.
- The AI Fantasy: The most modern symptom is the misplaced hope that AI will simply replace the "difficult" engineers, seeing it as a way to get the code without the "pesky" pushback about feasibility and quality.
You Are in the Software Business
If you are a leader at a SaaS company, you are not in the ride-sharing, government, or lawn care business. You are in the software business. The mechanics of creating, maintaining, and scaling high-quality software are your core business operations. To act as an uninformed leader in this domain is a strategic failure.
It's akin to a restaurant owner who doesn't understand the basics of how a professional kitchen operates. They can have a brilliant vision for the menu, but if they don't understand the realities of sourcing, prep, and service, they will burn out their chefs and deliver a terrible product.
The Path Forward: From Adversaries to Allies
The solution is not for every executive to become a coder. It is for every executive to develop a deep respect for the craft and to lean on their experts.
- Dive Deep: Take the time to understand your business's actual operations. Sit in on sprint planning, attend a post-mortem, and ask questions.
- Trust Your Experts: When your senior engineers tell you a timeline is unrealistic or an idea is architecturally unsound, they are not being obstructive; they are protecting the business from future failure.
- Reframe the Relationship: Stop viewing engineers as people who just implement your ideas. Start viewing them as your most valuable strategic partners.
When you truly grasp the nature of your products and the mechanics of your core business, you won't see engineers as adversaries who block your path. You will see them as the allies who can help you navigate it, avoid the pitfalls, and ultimately accelerate what's possible.