Many mid-level developers still measure their progress by the number of lines they add to the repository each week. But once you've had to put out fires in production, you learn something uncomfortable: code is not an asset; it's a liability.
"The best line of code is the one you don't need to write."
Every line you push is something you have to test, document, and maintain as time passes. True seniority is not demonstrated by building cathedrals of abstractions, but by having the courage to demolish them when they no longer serve a purpose, reducing your bug surface area and freeing up mental space for what actually generates value: the business.
In this article, you'll learn:
Why code should be treated as a cost paid (spent) rather than value produced.
