Mars vs. Venus: who codes best ?

Mars vs. Venus: who codes best ?

Ah, the old question of “who does it better, men or women?” It resurfaces in all fields, even in coding. According to certain articles, women write “more useful,” clearer, and better-documented code. Men, on the other hand, prefer mysterious lines worthy of a wizard’s grimoire. Is this a real debate or just an IT troll? Let’s explore this battle between Mars and Venus, keyboard in hand.

The "Venus" Thesis: Clearer Code is More Performant Code

Emma McGrattan, a figure in Silicon Valley, claims that women pay more attention to those who will later review their code. They fill it with helpful comments, explaining the “why” behind every decision. The result: code that looks more like a roadmap than a labyrinth.

In short, women’s code would be like a modern GPS: precise, clear, and always up to date. Men’s code? Sometimes more like an old treasure map, with cryptic annotations like: “Good luck understanding this, future dev.”

The facts are there: these practices are synonymous with maintainability and collaboration. So, is it a superior method or just a reaction to social pressure?

Cabalistic Code: Status Symbol or Technical Debt?

McGrattan points out a fact: some developers use code as a way to prove their intelligence. As a result, opaque functions and variables that seem named in an alien language are common.

But let’s be honest: who hasn’t written a piece of code thinking, “I’m going to impress everyone with this super optimized line,” only to realize six months later that no one understands it, including themselves?

This phenomenon is more cultural than biological. In an industry that often values standing out over collaboration, many are tempted by unnecessary complexity—a form of "standing out through difficulty" that harms the team. The real problem is not who does it, but why this behavior persists.

The Sociological Truth: Excellence is a Response to Inequality

This is where the analysis becomes complex. Studies show that coding style differences are real, but they mainly reflect a social dynamic:

In 2024, women make up only about 23% of developers. This underrepresentation contributes to a need for overperformance: every mistake is scrutinized, and every success is harder to achieve.

This is the core argument: women often excel in clarity and documentation because the unequal environment forces them into excellence and rigor. This extra care is not a superpower coded in their DNA; it’s a pragmatic response to an environment that demands they prove their worth twice as much.

So, Who Writes the Best Code?

The best code is the one that doesn’t make the colleague who takes it over (or yourself, six months later) cry. And on this point, "Venus" code has some serious arguments:

• Documentation: Enough to avoid the famous “What is this thing?”
• Simplicity: A clear, effective solution is always better than a puzzle.
• Standards: Because no one should ever come across a variable named xFinal_FINAL2.

The real question isn't, "Are women biologically better?" but "How can we create a culture where rigor and clarity (so-called 'Venus' qualities) become the expected standard for everyone?"

Conclusion: Code Has No Gender

The challenge isn't to label code by gender, but to break down the stereotypes that create a work environment where clarity is seen as extra effort (done by women) rather than as a professional necessity (expected of everyone).

Useful code has no gender. It depends on the method, the intent, and the willingness to do better together.

So, the next time you code, ask yourself: “Is this code worthy of Venus?”