> The code base itself has never and will never matter in the big picture

Clearing my throat: I am the first person to tell everyone on the team (repeatedly, until they are sick of hearing it) that the users, use cases, and organizational objectives are always more important than the technology.

But, in "the big picture" - the Linux codebase doesn't matter? The codebase that powers AWS doesn't matter? Hell, the Microsoft Office codebase doesn't matter? Look at what's happening to Windows when they treat it like the codebase doesn't matter.

For a tech org, the codebase is the reification of all of your objectives, all of your knowledge about your users and use cases and processes. Long term, a mature codebase plus people who understand it is one of the most valuable things you have. When orgs don't realize this, when they treat their workers and their work product as disposable commodities, we call this "enshittification."