Comment by huevosabio
10 hours ago
I've been thinking about this for a while, and largely agree that industralization of software development is what we are seeing. But the emphasis on low quality is misplaced.
Take this for example:
``` Industrial systems reliably create economic pressure toward excess, low quality goods. ```
Industrial systems allow for low quality goods, but also they deliver quality way beyond what can be achieved in artisanal production. A mass produced mid-tier car is going to be much better than your artisanal car.
Scale allows you not only to produce more cheaply, but also to take quality control to the extreme.
I generally agree. Industrialization puts a decent floor on quality, at low cost. But it also has a ceiling.
Perhaps an industrial car is better than your or my artisanal car, but I'm sure there's people who build cars by hand of very high quality (over the course of years). Likewise fine carpentry vs mass produced stuff vs ikea.
Or I make sourdough bread and it would be very impractical/uncompetitive to start selling it unless I scaled up to make dozens, maybe hundreds, of loaves per day. But it's absolutely far better than any bread you can find on any supermarket shelf. It's also arguably better than most artisanal bakeries who have to follow a production process every day.
The difference between an artisinal car and a mass produced car is that the former can only be used by one person.
This has never been true for "artisanal" software. It could be used by nobody or by millions. This is why the economic model OP proposes falls apart.
Exactly. Breadmaker is only as good as the last loaf. Software only needs to be perfect once.
> but also they deliver quality way beyond what can be achieved in artisanal production
I don't think this is true in general, although it may be in certain product categories. Hand-built supercars are still valued by the ultra-wealthy. Artisanal bakeries consistently make better pastries than anything mass produced... and so on
Lol, I now see your comment already used the exact same examples that my sibling comment did
Better along which dimensions? Most luxury cars are made the artisanal way.
That doesn't make them better. It makes them exclusive since only a few could have one.
I still don't know what better means in this context, so I don't understand what your comment adds to the discussion?
How does that apply to amish furniture?