The whole structure behind a lot of companies that he criticizes is that there's a small team building big stuff. In that environment, developers need to take o

The whole structure behind a lot of companies that he criticizes is that there's a small team building big stuff. In that environment, developers need to take on multiple roles and work on projects unlike anything they've worked on in the past. So I think you're absolutely correct, the first facebook api was not written by someone who had done a lot of api design. And I'd bet a lot of these other cases are similar. The best devs will still struggle a bit with projects that are unlike anything they've ever done before. I'd also say that having the best technical talent is not a prerequisite for building the coolest or most popular stuff. The author assumes it is, which is a major flaw. There are a ton of other factors that leave you with a successful product. That being said, leaving passwords in plain text is just plain stupid.