[sn9]

Writing software for whom?

Consider the software that NASA writes and how it's written. Rigorously specified, reviewed, and tested by some of the best engineers in the world to the point that almost bug-free code is produced at the expense of a much slower rate of development. Which is the best you can do with billions of dollars and human lives on the line for certain projects.

Now look at most government software infrastructure: frequently mercurial and ambiguous software specifications interacting and/or based on flawed laws and regulations filled with logical contradictions written by Congressmen and lobbyists with perverse incentives. And you have to justify every cent or risk the accusation of wasting taxpayer dollars.

[nn3]

>Rigorously specified, reviewed, and tested by some of the best engineers in the world

Actually NASA culture is to strictly avoid super stars. See:

http://www.fastcompany.com/28121/they-write-right-stuff

In the shuttle group's culture, there are no superstar programmers. The whole approach to developing software is intentionally designed not to rely on any particular person.

And the culture is equally intolerant of creativity, the individual coding flourishes and styles that are the signature of the all-night software world. "People ask, doesn't this process stifle creativity? You have to do exactly what the manual says, and you've got someone looking over your shoulder," says Keller. "The answer is, yes, the process does stifle creativity."

[Bartweiss]

I think equating "best engineers" with "superstars" means you might be bringing your own associations to the topic. (Not unfairly, that's a standard association in the Valley, but still.)

The few NASA engineers I've known have been superb as NASA employees. They weren't grand innovators solving problems on their own, but they were knowledgeable and intelligent. They had deep understanding of the tools they worked with, were rigorously careful and formal, and understood the problems and tradeoffs of their work far beyond any spec they were handed.

To me, that counts as being one of the best engineers in the world. These are people who know what they need to do, why they need to do it, and how they can best accomplish it. In the case of NASA, that generally means doing something radically different than you would at a tech startup, but these people are still brining enormous ability and great care to their work.

[sn9]

I never said anything about superstars. That's precisely one of the articles that most informs my understanding of NASA software practices.