Why Do Software Engineers Procrastinate?

Procrastination – the act of delaying or postponing something – has been studied in academic settings, but never in the context of software engineers. What do developers procrastinate? How does it affect their work?

Researchers from the University of Southern California, Department of Computer Science, conducted an interview study with developers across different industries and levels of seniority to understand the process of procrastination.

They’ve found that procrastination has positive and negative effects, as well as factors that trigger it, as perceived by participants.

Getting That Deadline High

Among the 14 negative effects are rushed coding, accumulation of technical debt, poor code quality, and last-minute stress, which can lead to reduced team trust when tasks consistently run late. All of the participants also cited emotional distress as a negative effect of procrastination.

Yet, 80% of developers reported at least one positive effect, such as improved mood, creativity, or near-deadline efficiency. Racing against a deadline also boosts focus and productivity.

Why do Engineers Procrastinate

The study distills procrastination triggers into three buckets:

1. Task-related factors such as vague expectations, unpredictable scope, or excessive cognitive load.
2. Personal factors, including low energy, stress, impostor syndrome, or low intrinsic motivation.
3. External factors like shifting priorities, unclear ownership, dependency on others, or organizational friction.

The study highlights 19 practical techniques for mitigating procrastination. These include building awareness of patterns, structured planning, micro‑tasking, pairing or peer support, and task framing to raise engagement.

Struggling with procrastination? Read some first-hand advice from a fellow engineer: