In this blog post, we’ve compiled a list of 60 best quotes about software engineering from some of the most prominent figures in the field.
These quotes cover various topics, from teamwork and collaboration to continuous learning and improvement.
So, whether you’re looking for words of wisdom to keep you motivated or want to gain a deeper understanding of software engineering, this post is for you.
Are you a software engineer or someone interested in learning about the field? If so, you’re in luck! Software engineering is a constantly evolving industry that requires creativity, technical skills, and a passion for solving problems.
It’s a challenging field, but it’s also gratifying for those who are dedicated and committed to it.
Whether you’re just starting or have been in the field for years, there’s always something new to learn and discover.
One great way to gain inspiration and motivation is through quotes from successful and accomplished software engineers.
Let’s dive in!
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60 Best Quotes About Software Engineering
1. “There are only two hard things in Computer Science: cache invalidation and naming things.” — Phil Karlton
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2. “Good programmers know what to write. Great ones know what to rewrite and reuse.” — Eric S. Raymond
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3. “Code as if the next guy to maintain your code is a homicidal maniac who knows where you live.” — Kathy Sierra.
4. “Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.” — Edsger W. Dijkstra
5. “The best way to get a project done faster is to start sooner.” — Jim Highsmith
6. “Simple things should be simple, complex things should be possible.” — Alan Kay
7. “Give a man a program, frustrate him for a day. Teach a man to program, frustrate him for a lifetime.”
8. “There are only two hard things in Computer Science: cache invalidation and naming things.” — Phil Karlton
9. “Premature optimization is the root of all evil.” — Donald Knuth
10. “The greatest risk we face in software development is that of overestimating our own knowledge.” — Jim Highsmith.
11. “Software is like sex. It’s better when it’s free.” — Linus Torvalds.
12. “Good programmers know what to write. Great ones know what to rewrite and reuse.” — Eric S. Raymond
13. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison.
14. “Code should run as fast as necessary, but no faster; something important is always traded away to increase speed.” — Richard E. Pattis.
15. “Any problem in computer science can be solved with another level of indirection.” — David Wheeler
16. “Hackers are arrogant geek romantics. They lack the attentive spirit of inquiry.” — Bruce Sterling
17. “Object thinking focuses our attention on the problem space rather than the solution space.” — David West
18. “Software is a gas; it expands to fill its container.” — Nathan Myhrvold
19. “It’s really complex to make something simple.” — Jack Dorsey
20. “Any program is only as good as it is useful.” — Linus Torvalds.
21. “Even the best planning is not so omniscient as to get it right the first time.” — Fred Brooks
22. “If we want users to like our software, we should design it to behave like a likeable person.” — Alan Cooper
23. “Excessive or irrational schedules are probably the single most destructive influence in all of software.” — Capers Jones
24. “The best performance improvement is the transition from the nonworking state to the working state.” — J. Osterhout
25. “Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do.” — Donald Knuth
Best Quotes On Software Engineering
26. “The biggest issue on software teams is making sure everyone understands what everyone else is doing.” — Martin Fowler.
27. “Final source code is the real software design.” — Jack Reeves
28. “Poor management can increase software costs more rapidly than any other factor.” — Barry Boehm.
29. “Learning to code is useful no matter what your career ambitions are.” — Arianna Huffington
30. “A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention with the possible exceptions of handguns and Tequila.” — Mitch Ratcliffe
31. “The trick is to fix the problem you have, rather than the problem you want.” — Bram Cohen
32. “Learn not to add too many features right away, and get the core idea built and tested.” — Leah Culver
33. “Every good work of software starts by scratching a developer’s personal itch.”
34. “You can prove anything by mentioning another computer language.” — Larry Wall
35. “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter how fast it doesn’t work.” — Mich Ravera
36. “Many people tend to look at programming styles and languages like religions: if you belong to one, you cannot belong to others. But this analogy is another fallacy.” — Niklaus Wirth
37. “Complexity has nothing to do with intelligence, simplicity does.” — Larry Bossidy
38. “The greatest risk we face in software development is that of overestimating our own knowledge.” — Jim Highsmith
39. “When in doubt, use brute force.” — Ken Thompson
40. “There are only two kinds of languages: the ones people complain about and the ones nobody uses.” — Bjarne Stroustrup
41. “Programming is not about typing, it’s about thinking.” — Rich Hickey
42. “Nothing makes a system more flexible than a suite of tests.” — Robert Martin
43. “Programming can be fun, so can cryptography; however they should not be combined.” — Kreitzberg and Shneiderman
44. “Architecture is the tension between coupling and cohesion.” — Neal Ford
Best Software Engineering Quotes
45. “You can mass-produce hardware; you cannot mass-produce software; you cannot mass-produce the human mind.” — Michio Kaku
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46. “Before software can be reusable it first has to be usable.” — Ralph Johnson
47. “Thinking is not the ability to manipulate language; it’s the ability to manipulate concepts.” — Leslie Lamport
48. “Talk is cheap. Show me the code.” — Linus Torvalds
49. “Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show their absence!” — Edsger Dijkstra
50. “Walking on water and developing software from a specification are easy if both are frozen.” — Edward V Berard
51. “Deleted code is debugged code.” — Jeff Sickel
52. “You cannot teach beginners top-down programming, because they don’t know which end is up.” — C.A.R. Hoare
53. “Conceptual integrity is the most important consideration in system design.” — Frederick P. Brooks
54. “Software entities (classes, modules, functions, etc.) should be open for extension, but closed for modification.” — Bertrand Meyer
55. “Code is like humor. When you have to explain it, it’s bad.” — Cory House
56. “There’s nothing more permanent than a temporary hack.” — Kyle Simpson
57. “Duplication is the primary enemy of a well-designed system.”
58. “The main activity of programming is not the origination of new independent programs, but in the integration, modification, and explanation of existing ones.” — Terry Winograd
59. “Don’t comment bad code — rewrite it.” — Brian Kernighan
60. “Hackers are arrogant geek romantics. They lack the attentive spirit of inquiry.” — Bruce Sterling
Summary
Hey there! If you’re in the software engineering field, you know that inspiration and motivation are crucial to success. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 60 best quotes from some of the field’s most successful and accomplished individuals.
These quotes cover many topics, including the importance of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. Whether you’re just starting or a seasoned developer, these quotes will provide you with the inspiration and guidance you need to take your skills to the next level.
So, head to our blog post to explore these powerful quotes today! And remember to share your favorite ones with your fellow developers. Let’s inspire each other!
