Nobody Gets Promoted for Simplicity

“Simplicity is a great virtue, but it requires hard work to achieve and education to appreciate. And to make matters worse, complexity sells better.” — Edsger Dijkstra

https://terriblesoftware.org/2026/03/03/nobody-gets-promoted-for-simplicity/

Nobody Gets Promoted for Simplicity

We reward complexity and ignore simplicity. In interviews, design reviews, and promotions. Here’s how to fix it.

Terrible Software