Software engineering is so much more than just coding, and I am finally beginning to understand that. While programming languages are an essential part of the field, software engineering encompasses a much broader spectrum of disciplines. It involves understanding computer systems, mathematics, databases, networking, security, system design, and testing, among other things.
I believe there should be a stronger emphasis on the operational aspects of software engineering, not just development, especially in how it’s presented to early-career engineers and newcomers. While the industry has made significant progress in operational disciplines like DevOps, cloud computing, and site reliability engineering, the focus in many entry-level roles, universities, and training programs is still primarily on writing code. However, the operational elements that make applications scalable, secure, and reliable are just as critical, if not more so, for building robust software systems.
For instance, consider cloud computing platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. They are foundational for building scalable and globally distributed systems, yet mastering these tools requires more than programming skills-it demands knowledge of networking, storage, and infrastructure management. Similarly, DevOps practices, which integrate development and operations through tools like Kubernetes and CI/CD pipelines, play a crucial role in ensuring applications are efficiently deployed, monitored, and maintained.
Without networking, distributing applications across the globe becomes impossible. Without security, systems are vulnerable to fraud and breaches on a massive scale. Software engineering is about more than writing code; it’s about engineering robust, sophisticated, and functional systems that meet the needs of users worldwide.
By broadening our focus to include operations, we can create software that isn’t just functional but also scalable, secure, and reliable a necessity in today’s interconnected world.