I don't think it always sucks. Definitely there is a focus on solving problems quickly and pragmatically, which isn't always the same as elegantly. I think Steve is on the money when he says that for many people coding isn't their life; a nice job where they can do interesting work, work reasonable hours, and maybe get some occasional training suits them. It's easy to want to work 60 hours a week when you're 25, no so easy 10-15 years later when you have a family! Ultimately its about the company and the leadership; I had a lot of opportunities to work on some really challenging projects, at other times I had to do the dull work of building reports!