# Software Engineering Requires Thinking Before Coding

DevFeed: [Software Engineering Requires Thinking Before Coding](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/you-re-not-paid-to-write-code-38701.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://newsletter.techworld-with-milan.com/p/youre-not-paid-to-write-code>)

Author: Dr Milan Milanović

Published: 2026-03-12T16:00:58Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Tech World With Milan Newsletter](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/tech-world-with-milan-newsletter.md>)

Topics: [Software Engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software-engineering.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>), [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>), [Claude](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/claude.md>), [cursor](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cursor.md>)

Tags: [claude](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/claude.md>), [copilot](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/copilot.md>), [cursor](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cursor.md>), [engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/engineering.md>), [software](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software.md>), [software-engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-engineering.md>)

## AI overview

This opinion article argues that software engineers create more value by understanding problems, questioning requirements, planning, and exercising judgment before writing code. It says AI makes this thinking-first approach more important because code is cheaper to produce but still requires maintenance and validation.

## Source excerpt

One thing I noticed in my engineering organizations is that when people get the problem to work on, the first step is to open the editor, create a new branch, and start coding.