The 'materials' in software engineering are freakishly consistent — the variability we deal with is largely of our own making.

Unlike traditional engineering where materials like resistors vary by 20% and depend on temperature, a program runs identically on any given computer. Hillel argues that the variability in software — versions, API changes, integration bugs — is largely self-inflicted. ✦ AI generated

Hillel Wayne · The Pragmatic Engineer · 2026-07-29 · original ↗

The 'materials' in software engineering are freakishly consistent. All other engineering professions have to worry about the consistency of their materials; for example, electrical engineers work with resistors that offer resistance within 20% of 100 ohms across a thousand units, and only when operated within a given temperature range. In contrast, a program runs identically on any given computer in software engineering. Hillel argues that the variability we deal with in software, like versions, APIs, bugs with integrations, etc, are largely battles of our own making.

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