I agree the article is off base, but the assumption in this citation is that programmer productivity is constant, which it is clearly not. It's not even just a uniform curve because being overworked can have a knock-on effect that decreases productivity even more. Basically, it's entirely ignoring the human aspect of programming, which I think was a lot easier to do in the 70s, because frankly, America had a better work ethic and were inherently more willing to be a good team player because back then nothing interesting happened except with major capital backing and a lot of team work.
All else being equal, sure a single programmer is more efficient than two programmers because of a more comprehensive mental model, and lower communications overhead. But in this day and age, with no job security, and the possibility to strike out on one's own at the drop of a hat (because in the 70s you pretty much had to keep your job just to have access to a computer, let alone develop a product and make a living from it), it's not sufficiently motivating to tell people to work longer, it's also equally ineffective to say be 300% better (I would probably laugh out loud if I heard that). Somehow you need to create a vision that people really buy into that internally motivates them, which will result not only in longer hours worked, but also greater minute-to-minute productivity, and even more productive subsconscious work. This is all the more difficult when you realize that individuals have different motivations. But this is the quality that will most enable a great founder today. This is I believe what set Steve Jobs apart more than anything else.
All else being equal, sure a single programmer is more efficient than two programmers because of a more comprehensive mental model, and lower communications overhead. But in this day and age, with no job security, and the possibility to strike out on one's own at the drop of a hat (because in the 70s you pretty much had to keep your job just to have access to a computer, let alone develop a product and make a living from it), it's not sufficiently motivating to tell people to work longer, it's also equally ineffective to say be 300% better (I would probably laugh out loud if I heard that). Somehow you need to create a vision that people really buy into that internally motivates them, which will result not only in longer hours worked, but also greater minute-to-minute productivity, and even more productive subsconscious work. This is all the more difficult when you realize that individuals have different motivations. But this is the quality that will most enable a great founder today. This is I believe what set Steve Jobs apart more than anything else.