SOFTWARE SLOWNESS IS A CHOICE, NOT NECESSITY

Luu's analysis examines why applications continue to bloat and underperform despite exponential increases in computing power. He contends that developers have the tools and knowledge to build efficient software, but optimization often takes a backseat to rapid feature development. The argument resonates with performance-focused engineers who observe that many applications consume disproportionate resources compared to their functionality. Legacy technical debt, unnecessary dependencies, and insufficient profiling practices contribute to the problem. The discussion highlights a recurring tension in software development: speed-to-market versus long-term performance. As hardware becomes cheaper and faster, the economic incentive to optimize diminishes unless performance directly impacts user experience or business metrics. Luu's piece suggests that reversing this trend requires deliberate prioritization of efficiency at the development level, better tooling for performance analysis, and cultural shifts within engineering teams to value optimization as seriously as feature delivery.