The Reality of Code Quality: Is Perfection More Important Than Progress?

No software is ever truly finished. Even the most polished codebases require continuous maintenance, updates, and optimizations. Yet, many teams judge developers too harshly for minor code improvements, overlooking the bigger picture of software development. According to Microsoft Research, 70–90% of software development costs go into maintenance and improvements, not the initial coding. This proves a fundamental truth: software evolves, and continuous iteration is the norm — not the exception. So why do some teams focus rigidly on small code enhancements instead of assessing overall contributions? The Bigger Picture of Code Quality Writing perfect code in a single attempt is a myth. Even senior engineers at Google, Microsoft, and Facebook continuously refactor, optimize, and improve their work. ✅ A SmartBear study (2023) found that code review improves software quality by 20–30%. ✅ A GitHub survey revealed that 94% of developers refine their coding standards over time based on review comments. ✅ Even senior engineers have an average of 7+ pull request revisions before final approval. If the best developers in the industry need code reviews and iterations, why should individual developers be judged harshly for minor improvements? Is Code Review a Bad Practice? Absolutely not. Code reviews enhance software quality, foster learning, and prevent technical debt. However, receiving improvement comments does not mean a developer won’t improve over time. A review aims to help developers grow, not punish them for not writing “perfect” code from the start. If a company expects flawless code without iterations, they’re misunderstanding how software development works. Real-World Perspective: Software is Never “Perfect” Think about major frameworks and tools like: React — Constantly updated with new optimizations. Linux Kernel — Thousands of patches applied after initial releases. Node.js — Features and performance improvements added years after launch. If even industry-defining software products require ongoing refinement, why should we expect individual developers to produce perfection from day one? The Tech Industry Needs to Rethink Code Quality Standards Code quality is important, but absolute perfection shouldn’t outweigh practical results. A developer who delivers a functional, well-structured solution should be recognized for their contributions — not discredited for small areas of improvement. Have you ever faced unfair expectations regarding code quality? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Apr 14, 2025 - 09:21

The Reality of Code Quality: Is Perfection More Important Than Progress?

No software is ever truly finished. Even the most polished codebases require continuous maintenance, updates, and optimizations. Yet, many teams judge developers too harshly for minor code improvements, overlooking the bigger picture of software development.

According to Microsoft Research, 70–90% of software development costs go into maintenance and improvements, not the initial coding. This proves a fundamental truth: software evolves, and continuous iteration is the norm — not the exception.

So why do some teams focus rigidly on small code enhancements instead of assessing overall contributions?

The Bigger Picture of Code Quality

Writing perfect code in a single attempt is a myth. Even senior engineers at Google, Microsoft, and Facebook continuously refactor, optimize, and improve their work.

✅ A SmartBear study (2023) found that code review improves software quality by 20–30%.
✅ A GitHub survey revealed that 94% of developers refine their coding standards over time based on review comments.
✅ Even senior engineers have an average of 7+ pull request revisions before final approval.

If the best developers in the industry need code reviews and iterations, why should individual developers be judged harshly for minor improvements?

Is Code Review a Bad Practice?

Absolutely not. Code reviews enhance software quality, foster learning, and prevent technical debt. However, receiving improvement comments does not mean a developer won’t improve over time.

A review aims to help developers grow, not punish them for not writing “perfect” code from the start. If a company expects flawless code without iterations, they’re misunderstanding how software development works.

Real-World Perspective: Software is Never “Perfect”

Think about major frameworks and tools like:

React — Constantly updated with new optimizations.
Linux Kernel — Thousands of patches applied after initial releases.
Node.js — Features and performance improvements added years after launch.

If even industry-defining software products require ongoing refinement, why should we expect individual developers to produce perfection from day one?

The Tech Industry Needs to Rethink Code Quality Standards

Code quality is important, but absolute perfection shouldn’t outweigh practical results. A developer who delivers a functional, well-structured solution should be recognized for their contributions — not discredited for small areas of improvement.

Have you ever faced unfair expectations regarding code quality? Let’s discuss in the comments!