At the end of the day our software is going to run on real machines, sending data across real networks. I feel like we'll always be leaving performance on the table if we don't understand the characteristics of the hardware we're developing on.

I can build a cubby house in the backyard (low performance system) without understanding the the physical characteristics on the materials I'm using, but if I want to build a sky-scraper (high performance system) I need to understand the actual physical materials and how to use them effectively.