The 5 Engineering Principles I Never Compromise On
In every role—from scrappy founder to enterprise staff engineer—I've relied on a set of core principles to drive quality, velocity, and team alignment. This post lays them out, with battle-tested advice for applying them across any tech stack or org structure.
Ben Neigher
Staff Software Engineer
Over my career, I've developed five core engineering principles that I never compromise on, regardless of the situation or pressure.
1. Code Quality Over Velocity
Fast, dirty code might seem like a shortcut, but it always comes back to haunt you. Quality code is maintainable, readable, and reliable.
2. Test Everything
Automated testing isn't optional—it's essential. Tests give you confidence to refactor, deploy, and iterate quickly.
3. Document Decisions
Technical decisions should be documented, especially the "why" behind them. This prevents future confusion and helps onboard new team members.
4. Security First
Security isn't something you add later—it needs to be built into every decision from the beginning.
5. User Experience Matters
Even internal tools and APIs should be designed with the user in mind. Good UX reduces errors and increases adoption.
Applying These Principles
These principles work together to create systems that are not just functional, but excellent.