13 Software Engineering Laws That We All (Secretly) Break
Real-World Lessons From the 13 Software Engineering Laws That We Break, Bend, and Live ThroughHow Parkinson, Conway, Hofstadter and friends keep showing up in our sprints, standups, and postmortems.
🧠 Ever read something and feel like the author’s been quietly watching your sprint planning meetings?
That’s how I felt when I came across an article about the 13 Software Engineering Laws — a mix of painfully accurate truths, oddly comforting patterns, and reminders that most of us are learning (and re-learning) the hard way.
From scope creep to team silos, from missed deadlines to those delightful 2 a.m. bugs, these laws explain so much of the chaos we call "shipping software."
But I didn’t stop at reading them. I took a step back and started connecting these laws to real-world situations I’ve been in — as a developer, a team lead, a firefighter, and occasionally, the guy who accidentally made it worse before it got better.
A few reflections I want to share:
1. Parkinson’s Law + Hofstadter’s Law = the eternal scheduling paradox
We’re told to keep timelines tight so work doesn’t balloon. But also to account for things always taking longer than expected. Trying to balance both? That’s where all my calendar stress comes from.
In practice, I’ve found that small, sharp milestones work best. It’s not about “hustling harder” — it’s about building in breathing room without letting tasks stretch endlessly.
2. Conway’s Law is the most quietly powerful one
"Your software will reflect your org chart" sounds like a slogan, but it’s real. Misaligned teams build misaligned systems. One of the biggest shifts in productivity I’ve seen? Structuring teams around end-to-end ownership, not tech layers.
Architecture follows communication. Every time.
3. Sturgeon’s Law hurts (but it’s freeing)
"90% of everything is crap." Harsh, but useful. It reminds me not to fall in love with every line of code, every feature, or even every roadmap item. It’s not about doing more — it’s about doing what matters.
4. Cunningham’s Law is my go-to unblocking trick
If I’m stuck? I post the wrong answer in Slack. Magically, a better one appears in minutes. People love to correct. Why not use that to your advantage?
The deeper I went, the more I realized how often these laws show up — not as theory, but as daily reality.
So I wrote about it. Shared some stories. Reflected a bit.
👉 Whether you're writing code, managing people, or both — I hope this hits close enough to feel familiar, and far enough to spark a fresh insight.
Have a read. And I’m curious: Which law have you accidentally broken most? (No shame — we’ve all got a list.)
If you want the original deep dive that inspired this, it's a great read:
The 13 Software Engineering Laws – by Anton Zaides