Comment by JohnFen
1 day ago
This is a genuinely fascinating difference in perception to me. I don't remember ever hearing it used in the way you have. I've always heard it used to point out that devs often give more focus on what tools they use than they do on what actually matters to their customers.
There are developers who care about tech and not about product. They build toys.
There are developers who care about product and not about tech. They build things that just barely work.
There are developers who care about both. They build the stuff people remember.
I have often heard it used to create a (false) impression that the choice of tools does not affect things that matter to customers - effectively silencing valid concerns about the consequences of a particular technical choice. It is often framed in the way you suggest, but the actual context and the intended effect of the phrase are very different from that framing.