Soft skills for software engineers - why coding isn't the hard part

Coding Chats episode 72 - Charles Humble and John Crickett explore why professional skills — communication, critical thinking, and documentation — are arguably more important than writing code itself. Drawing on his O'Reilly shortcut article series and a career that began with an English Literature degree, Charles makes the case that these so-called "soft skills" are actually core to the job, and that they can be learned through practice by anyone, regardless of background or natural talent.

The conversation also digs into the seismic impact of AI on the software industry. Charles shares his nuanced take: while generative AI tools are reshaping how code gets written, the durable skills — understanding systems, debugging, domain knowledge, and clear communication — matter more than ever. Rather than panic or uncritical adoption, Charles encourages engineers to focus on what remains irreplaceable, and to approach an uncertain future with curiosity and a willingness to take shots on goal.

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Professional Skills for Software Engineers

06:24 Navigating the Impact of AI on Software Engineering

12:09 The Evolving Role of Software Engineers

17:50 AI for the Rest of Us: Bridging the Knowledge Gap

25:43 The Ethical Implications of AI and Communication

27:12 Ethics in AI Development

31:04 Improving Communication Skills for Engineers

38:00 Overcoming the Fear of Writing

42:15 The Importance of Public Speaking

50:17 The Journey of Continuous Learning

54:30 Exploring Related Content

Charles's Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleshumble/\

https://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.social

John's Links:John's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncrickett/

John’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johncrickett

John's Twitter: https://x.com/johncrickett

John's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/johncrickett.bsky.social

Check out John's software engineering related newsletters: Coding Challenges: https://codingchallenges.substack.com/ which shares real-world project ideas that you can use to level up your coding skills.

Developing Skills: https://read.developingskills.fyi/ covering everything from system design to soft skills, helping them progress their career from junior to staff+ or for those that want onto a management track.

Takeaways

"Soft skills" is a misleading term — Communication, critical thinking, and documentation aren't soft skills; they're literally the job.

Non-technical skills can be learned — You don't need natural talent. Like anything, they improve with deliberate practice.

Career success often comes from non-coding skills — Charles found his own progression was driven more by presenting to executives and systems thinking than by programming ability.

Communication becomes critical as you progress — From mid-level upwards, working with stakeholders, mentoring, and documentation determine who makes it to senior and beyond.

Nobody knows what programming will look like in two years — Even Kent Beck acknowledges the deep uncertainty ahead.AI has shifted engineers from "extract" to "explore" — Programmers who felt settled in well-defined work have been thrown into a messier, less certain phase by generative AI.

The durable skills are the same ones that always mattered — Debugging, domain knowledge, system design, and communication are as valuable now as ever — arguably more so.

"Coding is dead" is nonsense — Software engineering has always been mostly about understanding what to build and why. Writing code was always a small part of it.

Try things and see what happens — No grand plan needed. If you don't kick the ball, you're guaranteed not to score.