Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux operating system, sharply criticized the practice of measuring programmer productivity by lines of code during an interview. He labeled such an approach as incompetent and suggested that its proponents are unfit for tech work. The remarks unexpectedly targeted Elon Musk, whom Torvalds endorsed upon learning of the connection.
Linus Torvalds, renowned for his candid demeanor in the tech world, spoke out against flawed metrics for developer productivity in a recent interview on the YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips. The discussion centered on the future of open source software, where Torvalds addressed the notion of evaluating programmers based on the volume of code they produce, rather than its quality or maintainability.
Torvalds dismissed this method outright, describing it as “simply incompetent.” He went further, stating that anyone adhering to this view is “simply too stupid to work in a tech company.” Unbeknownst to him at the time, this critique aligned with reports attributing similar productivity standards to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Upon being informed of the link, Torvalds stood firm, responding with, “apparently I was spot on.”
This is not the first instance of Torvalds' unfiltered opinions making waves; he has previously branded Nvidia as “the worst company” he had dealt with, emphasizing his frustration with a raised middle finger in a public outburst.
The interview clip garnered significant positive feedback from the open source community. Viewers on YouTube and users on Reddit praised Torvalds' perspective, expressing doubts about Musk's technical acumen. One Reddit commenter, u/kraven48, echoed the sentiment: “Even a freshman in college could tell you that using the number of lines of code as a metric is stupid.” Many portrayed Musk more as a performer than a genuine tech expert, highlighting tensions between traditional software development values and high-profile entrepreneurial approaches.
Torvalds' comments underscore ongoing debates in the industry about what truly drives effective programming, favoring substance over superficial counts.