Programming

Some programming is routine. You follow the general industry guidelines, get some libraries and a framework, and then whack out the code.

All you need to get it done correctly is a reasonably trained programmer and a bit of time. It is straightforward. Paint by numbers.

Some programming is close to impossible. The author has to be able to twist an incredible amount of details and complexity around in their head, in order to find one of the few tangible ways to implement it.

Difficult programming is a rare skill and takes a very long time to master. There is a lot of prerequisite knowledge needed and it takes a lot to hone those skills.

Some difficult programming is technical. It requires deep knowledge of computer science and mathematics.

Some difficult programming is domain-based, it requires deep knowledge of large parts of the given domain.

In either case, it requires both significant skill and lots of knowledge.

All application and system programming is a combination of the two: routine and difficult. The mix is different for every situation.

If you throw inexperienced programmers at a difficult task it will likely fail. They do not have the ability to succeed.

Mentorship is the best way that people learn to deal with difficult programming. Learning from failures takes too long, is too stressful, and requires humility. Lots of reading is important, too.

If it is difficult and you want it to work correctly, you need to get programmers who are used to coping with these types of difficulties. They are specialists.