Stereotypes are mental shortcuts: convenient ways to categorise people and their work. They help us make snap judgments, but when those judgments are outdated or just plain wrong, they do more harm than good. In the world of software development, these assumptions shape team dynamics, influence decision-making, and can be the difference between smooth collaboration or total dysfunction.

At madewithlove, we’ve seen how these stereotypes create unnecessary friction. They box developers into roles they never agreed to, build walls between engineers and other teams, and warp the reality of what it actually takes to build great software. It’s time to call out some of the worst offenders and explore how they hold teams back.

"Developers prefer to work alone"

This is one of the most persistent myths in the industry—the image of the lone developer in a dark room, deep in "the zone," wanting nothing to do with meetings, discussions, or feedback. While focused work is crucial, great development happens through collaboration. Code reviews, pair programming, architecture discussions—these are all team efforts.

The problem with this stereotype? It leads to developers being excluded from key conversations. Decisions about product direction, user experience, and technical feasibility are sometimes made without engineering input, only for developers to be handed requirements later, sometimes impossible ones. This disconnect can lead to friction, delays, and rework that could have been avoided if developers were brought in earlier.

"Developers hate meetings"

No one likes pointless meetings, but the assumption that developers inherently resist all meetings is harmful. When people believe this stereotype, developers are left out of discussions that impact them.

Meetings should be structured in a way that respects everyone’s time. If a meeting doesn’t have a clear agenda or could be replaced by an async update, that’s a failure of meeting culture, not a personality trait of developers. Instead of cutting engineers out of discussions, teams should focus on making meetings valuable and actionable.

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"Developers only care about code, not the business"

This stereotype suggests that developers just want to write code and don’t care about product strategy, user experience, or business goals. It’s a false dichotomy. Many developers care deeply about the impact of their work, and excluding them from business discussions prevents them from offering valuable insights.

When developers aren’t included in product and business conversations, they’re often left solving problems in isolation. Technical decisions can’t be made without considering the bigger picture. If developers understand why a feature exists and how it impacts the business, they can build better solutions, anticipate risks, and make smarter trade-offs.

"Backend engineers solve hard problems, frontend just adds polish"

The myth that backend engineers are the "real" developers while frontend engineers are just making things pretty is not only outdated, but actively harmful. Modern frontend development involves state management, performance optimisation, accessibility, and a deep understanding of user interactions. Backend development, meanwhile, increasingly involves API design, security, and scalability concerns that require frontend awareness.

This artificial divide leads to teams where backend engineers avoid UI concerns and frontend engineers feel excluded from architectural decisions. Instead of reinforcing these silos, teams should recognise that frontend and backend are deeply interconnected and require cross-functional collaboration.

"Developers don’t need soft skills"

Another dangerous stereotype is the idea that developers can (or should) get by with technical skills alone, without needing to communicate clearly, present ideas, or collaborate effectively. This often leads to situations where engineers struggle to push back on unrealistic expectations, don’t voice concerns early enough, or find it difficult to advocate for better practices.

Good development isn’t just about writing code—it’s about making technical trade-offs, giving feedback, and explaining decisions in a way that the rest of the team can understand. The ability to clearly communicate complex ideas is just as valuable as technical expertise.

Breaking out of these stereotypes

Instead of holding onto these outdated ideas, it’s worth taking a step back and asking:

  • Are developers being looped in early enough to contribute meaningfully?
  • Do our meetings feel necessary, or are they just routine interruptions?
  • Are we valuing the strategic input of engineers beyond just writing code?
  • Are we unintentionally drawing lines between roles that should work together?
  • Are we fostering a culture of open communication and shared problem-solving?

The best teams break free from rigid assumptions and embrace a more fluid, collaborative way of working. When developers aren’t boxed in by stereotypes, they can focus on what really matters: building great products, together.