I think this title is a bit link baity. Yes, clean code is important. So is efficient code. To say one is more important than the other is needlessly oversimpli

I think this title is a bit link baity. Yes, clean code is important. So is efficient code. To say one is more important than the other is needlessly oversimplifying things. How about this? They're both important; and sometimes one takes precedence over the other depending on the situation and context; but most of the time, you should just strive for both. Clean code requires less resources in terms of maintenance, bug fixes, and extensibility, because it's easier to understand and modify. Efficient code requires less resources in terms of server maintenance and bug fixes, because it actually requires less maintenance and is less likely to catch you off guard by taking your server down.