Measuring a Developer’s Productivity by Lines of Code?

Linus Torvalds has a pretty clear opinion on the subject. And, as usual, he doesn’t exactly hold back. 😅

In a conversation with Linus Tech Tips, he strongly criticizes the idea of using lines of code as a performance metric. When he’s told that this approach has been associated with Elon Musk at Twitter/X, his response becomes even more direct.

But beyond the controversy, the underlying point is worth discussing.

A developer who adds 2,000 lines of code hasn’t necessarily created more value than another developer who removes 500.

Sometimes, the best work is actually about simplifying things:
reducing complexity, removing unnecessary code, fixing a poor abstraction, or making a system easier to maintain.

Lines of code measure quantity. They don’t measure the quality of engineering work.

And now that AI can generate huge amounts of code in very little time, this metric seems even less meaningful to me.

What do you use to actually evaluate a developer’s work?

It’s also worth acknowledging that both Linus Torvalds and Elon Musk are brilliant minds, but neither of them has ever been particularly afraid of provoking or fueling controversy. That’s part of who they are, too.

Sources:
computerhoy.20minutos.es
neowin.net

Jatniel
Senior Full-Stack PHP Developer - Freelance