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The Hidden Challenges in Software Development Projects: Key Insights from Our Latest Survey

Software development powers the modern world, but behind every app, system, or service lies a story of challenges that teams must overcome. Our latest Developer Nation survey with over 10,500 responses from 127 countries reveals where these struggles really come from and how they impact developers across organisations of all sizes.

This post highlights some of the most eye-opening findings. For the full picture (and strategies to navigate these challenges), you can download the complete report here and become part of the Developer Nation community to contribute in our upcoming surveys. Let’s begin!

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1. Almost Every Developer Faces Challenges

A striking 88% of professional developers say they face at least one major challenge in their projects. This makes it clear that these problems are not outliers, they’re systemic across the industry.

Think of it this way: whether you’re in a startup of 5 or an enterprise with 5,000 engineers, you’ll encounter roadblocks. What changes is which challenges dominate, and how severely they affect progress.

2. Code and Documentation: The Top Pain Points

Nearly one-third of developers (31%) cited two issues as their biggest headaches:

  • Unreadable or hard-to-maintain code (“as devs call it : the spaghetti code”)
  • Insufficient or outdated documentation

Poor coding practices don’t just slow teams down, they create technical debt that makes future updates, debugging, and scaling far harder. Without proper documentation, onboarding new developers becomes a nightmare, often forcing reliance on senior engineers and dragging projects behind schedule.

Real-world takeaway: Companies that set strong coding and documentation practices early save themselves years of friction later.

3. The Challenge Multiplier: Team Size

The survey shows a direct correlation: the bigger the dev team, the more challenges they face.

  • Small teams (up to 10 developers): 2.4 challenges on average
  • Very large teams (over 1,000 developers): 3.0 challenges on average

For instance, 46% of developers in very large organisations say poor documentation is a key issue compared to just one-third of those in smaller teams. As systems and codebases grow, scaling without strong practices only compounds problems.

4. The Age Factor: Younger vs Older Organisations

Interestingly, younger organisations (under 5 years old) are more likely overall to face challenges (92%), often due to limited resources and the push for speed over process.

But there’s a twist: the average number of challenges per developer rises with company age. Developers in firms older than 30 years face 2.9 challenges each, compared to 2.3 in the youngest companies.

This suggests two truths:

  • Younger companies feel the heat due to rapid growth and lack of structure.
  • Older companies that don’t modernise accumulate technical debt and struggle to adapt their legacy systems.

Why This Matters for You

Whether you’re a solo dev in a startup or managing a thousand-strong engineering team, these findings highlight one clear reality: software development challenges are universal, but not unmanageable.

With the right processes, tools, and culture, organisations can reduce the friction points that stall innovation and create a healthier developer experience.

Want the Full Report?

This blog only scratches the surface – covering just about 40% of the insights. The full report dives deeper into:

  • The role of third-party tools and outdated libraries
  • How testing practices (or the lack of them) impact software quality
  • Which industries and team setups face the biggest risks

👉 Download the complete report here to get the full breakdown and access exclusive insights.

And if you haven’t already, join the Developer Nation community a space where 100,000+ developers learn, share, and grow together.

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Community

🌐 Developers Assemble: The 30th Developer Nation Survey Is LIVE!

Hey Devs, Yes, you reading this! Something big is happening, and you’re invited to be a part of it. Participate Now!

🎉 Our 30th Developer Nation Survey Is Here!

This isn’t just a milestone. It’s a global moment.

Whether you’re building apps on the weekend, wrangling backend APIs at work, crafting immersive VR experiences, or teaching yourself how to no-code, this survey is for you.

For the past 15 years, Developer Nation has been on a mission: to capture the voice of developers everywhere. And now, with our latest 30th edition, we’re going even bigger, 13 tech areas, 9 languages, and developers from 165+ countries.

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💬 Why Should You Take It?

Because your voice shapes the future of tech. Because the tools, languages, and platforms you love deserve improvements. Because the insight gathered from the survey will help you and others make better career decisions, and you’ll get access to a Pulse Report we publish post-survey. This is your chance to influence how the world understands developers, what motivates us, what we’re building, and what’s coming next.

Oh, and let’s be honest… You can win some really awesome stuff, too.

🎁 What’s Up for Grabs?

We’re giving away $3,000+ worth of prizes, including:

  • 💻 An Apple iPad 128GB (exclusive for Developer Nation community members!)
  • 🧠 $300 toward the AI tool of your choice
  • 🎙️ RODE NT-USB Mini Microphone
  • 🖱️ Logitech MX Master 3S
  • ⌨️ Developer Nation limited-edition Keychron keyboard
  • 💳 Gift cards and more cool gear!

All just for sharing your thoughts.

❤️ Bonus: Take the Survey, Help the World

Your few minutes can create a real impact.

When you complete the survey, you’ll help us donate on your behalf to causes that matter:

  • freeCodeCamp – Free tech education for millions
  • OSMI (Open Sourcing Mental Illness) – Mental health support in tech
  • Charity: Water – Clean drinking water for communities in need

You click. We give. Everyone wins.

🌎 Who Should Join?

You. If you’re:

  • A pro dev
  • A student
  • A side-project junkie
  • A no-code creator
  • A tinkerer, hacker, or maker

Working in Web, Mobile, ML & AI, Cloud, Games, IoT, Embedded, Desktop, AR/VR, Data science, or anything in between — you’re exactly who we want to hear from.

And this time, it’s easier than ever with the survey available in English, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Russian.

🕒 Survey Window: June 5 – July 17

This isn’t just a form. It’s a movement. Take a few minutes. Join developers from around the world. Be heard. Win cool stuff. Make an impact.

👉 Take the survey now

Let’s make tech better, Together.