See: Who Builds a Skyscraper without Drawing Blueprints? [0] I think we do have the tools to build Skyscrapers in software. I don't think it's as expensive as

See: Who Builds a Skyscraper without Drawing Blueprints? [0] I think we do have the tools to build Skyscrapers in software. I don't think it's as expensive as it used to be but it is certainly more expensive than it is now. The reason I think we've seen so much innovation in the last couple of decades in software is because we're getting away with building Skyscrapers with little, to no, regulation or oversight. Great for profits. Not so great for insurers, democracies, and regular people who have to deal with identity theft and fraud claims. Fortunately it's not like JPL in the 90s. Writing reliable, critical infrastructure doesn't cost nearly as much with the advance of automated model checking and interactive theorem proving tools. The skills to use those tools are more difficult to acquire than the ability to write a valid C program but I don't think every software developer will need to. If enough people in senior positions start insisting on their use I think we'll do well. In the meantime... when you need to know whether you're building a shed in a yard or a skyscraper you can look to your local professional engineering society for answers. In my area they have classifications available just as they would at your local city hall for determining if you need a permit to build your structure. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCRqE59VXT0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCRqE59VXT0 Update There's also a handy reference guide called, the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge or SWEBOK which is regularly updated with the current state of the art. It's quite useful to be familiar with it at least: https://www.computer.org/education/bodies-of-knowledge/software-engineering https://www.computer.org/education/bodies-of-knowledge/softw...