The Uncomfortable Truth About Tech Project Success: Shipping Beats Perfection

Every engineer knows the feeling: You're deep in a technical debate about framework choices or architecture patterns when someone asks the uncomfortable question - 'But how does this actually help us ship?' According to software engineer Sean Goedecke, this tension reveals a fundamental truth about tech careers: The single most important skill isn't technical prowess, but reliably delivering completed projects.

In his recent analysis, Goedecke observes that engineers who consistently ship working software gain remarkable professional latitude. 'You could be abrasive, skip documentation, or commit other minor sins that would sink others,' he notes. 'If you deliver the core value, organizations forgive peripheral shortcomings.' This isn't just workplace pragmatism - it reflects a power law distribution of impact where 10% of effort (shipping) drives 90% of career outcomes.

Why This Resonates With Developers

The insight cuts through common engineering distractions:

1. Technology debates become secondary when critical path execution remains unresolved
2. Process adherence (like perfect Jira tickets) matters less than tangible results
3. Personality clashes get overlooked for delivery-focused engineers

As one HN commenter put it: 'This explains why the brilliant jerk on my team keeps getting promoted while meticulous engineers stall. Brutal but true.'

Identifying the Real Goal

Goedecke argues the 'main thing' in corporate tech is straightforward: 'Delivering projects that increase shareholder value and please management.' This pragmatic focus differs sharply from:

• Personal fulfillment: Crafting beautiful code
• Technical excellence: Optimizing systems
• Community contribution: Open-source work

'The danger,' warns engineering manager Tara Chen, 'is when engineers mistake activity for impact. Rewriting a service in Rust feels productive but delays shipping by months.'

The Adaptation Challenge

Priorities shift with market conditions. In the growth-focused 2010s, being likable and networked was paramount. Today's efficiency-driven climate elevates shippers - even difficult ones. This transition has proven jarring:

• Social butterflies faced unexpected layoffs
• Delivery-focused engineers gained influence
• Hybrid skillsets became survival necessities

'You can't control market shifts,' Goedecke concludes, 'but recognizing the current main thing lets you allocate effort where it counts. Sometimes that means spending half your time figuring out what deserves the other half.'

For engineers resisting this reality, he offers blunt advice: 'Do passion projects off-hours. At work, create shareholder value. Half-hearted value creation beats full-time devotion to unvalued work.'

The discussion continues across tech communities, with many acknowledging uncomfortable truths about professional rewards. As Reddit user /u/ship_it_hard notes: 'Wish this wasn't true, but my promotion came after I stopped polishing and started delivering.'

Explore Sean Goedecke's full analysis including case studies of successful project shipping strategies.