Comment by ncmncm
4 years ago
A better description would be "a liability". Every extra line of code is a line that has to be maintained in perpetuity. Each new engineer has to learn it all again.
The saleable product has value. A library you use for multiple products has some value. Everything else is cost.
Engineers are a liabity. You need them to write and fix code that runs your product, but other than that every extra engineer just demands salary and increases your costs.
Therefore I conclude that engineers have no value for a company, since when ignoring all the value they provide they just cost money.
It depends on size of the company. Cost is a relative instrument. Develop a big market product, highly demanding, or for a critical mission application is another story for "cost".