SMRTR ProgrammingApr 1, 2026Hacker News

Software Engineering Is Becoming Civil Engineering

SMRTR summary

Software engineering is undergoing a fundamental split similar to 18th century building trades, where structural design separated from construction. As AI enables product managers to write code directly, the field is dividing into feature implementation (like welding) and platform engineering (like structural engineering). Platform engineers must design systems that remain safe as non-technical users ship changes through AI.

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