[cromano]

> The biggest differentiator of skilled software practitioners is the ability to construct simple systems.

I would say it's to construct simple enough systems, and the hallmark of skill is a developer's ability to define enough.

[wellpast]

I believe you're conflating simplicity/complexity with flexibility.

_One_ hallmark of developer ability is the discretion/wisdom/experience to know how flexible to make the thing. (How to prioritize and limit feature-creep, etc.)

But this is different than Simplicity. A general purpose programming language or database -- highly flexible/generic systems -- for example, can be built well/simple. But so can highly _specific_ systems.

In both cases though, one can build something that is decoupled and manipulable or one can build something that is coupled and rigid -- and the ability to do so is a function of skill set _not intrinsically_ a function of time. In other words, a skilled developer doesn't have to "take time" to deliver a Simple capability.

[AstralStorm]

Sometimes you just want a hammer, not a swiss army knife.

And sometimes it is good to have a replaceable head on the hammer.

[wellpast]

Yes! And the property of Simplicity is orthogonal to whether or not you chose to make the Knife or the Hammer.

A Hammer's construction can be Simple. A Knife's construction can be Simple. Or not.