Code Complete with Steve McConnell
Code Complete with Steve McConnellSteve McConnell, author of Code Complete, shares timeless lessons from his classic software engineering handbook, what he’s updated since, and the career principles every engineer should know.
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— In this episodeThe Pragmatic Engineer Podcast is back with the Fall 2025 season. Expect new episodes to be published on most Wednesdays, looking ahead. Code Complete is one of the most enduring books on software engineering. Steve McConnell wrote the 900-page handbook just five years into his career, capturing what he wished he’d known when starting out. Decades later, the lessons remain relevant, and Code Complete remains a best-seller. In this episode, we talk about what has aged well, what needed updating in the second edition, and the broader career principles Steve has developed along the way. From his “career pyramid” model to his critique of “lily pad hopping,” and why periods of working in fast-paced, all-in environments can be so rewarding, the emphasis throughout is on taking ownership of your career and making deliberate choices. We also discuss:
Steve rarely gives interviews, so I hope you enjoy this conversation, which we recorded in Seattle.  One topic Steve has never written about — but finds importantA topic Steve has been thinking a lot about, but has not written or talked until this interview is this: Focused personal energy makes up for a lot of things. In his words (starting at 53:30 in the podcast)
The Pragmatic Engineer deepdives relevant for this episode
Timestamps(00:00) Intro (01:31) How and why Steve wrote Code Complete (08:08) What code construction is and how it differs from software development (11:12) Top-down vs. bottom-up design approach (14:46) Why design documents frustrate some engineers (16:50) The case for rewriting everything three times (20:15) Steve’s career before and after Code Complete (27:47) Steve’s career advice (44:38) Three areas software designers need to understand (48:07) Advice when becoming a manager, as a developer (53:02) The importance of managing your energy (57:07) Early Microsoft and why startups are a culture of intense focus (1:04:14) What changed in the second edition of Code Complete (1:10:50) AI’s impact on software development: Steve’s take (1:17:45) Code reviews and GenAI (1:19:58) Why engineers are becoming more full-stack (1:21:40) Could AI be the exception to “no silver bullets?” (1:26:31) Steve’s advice for engineers on building a meaningful career ReferencesWhere to find Steve McConnell:
Mentions during the episode:
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