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When I first read the post, I thought the two types sounded very much like two levels of experience in being a Software Engineer. Your identification of the third type strengthens my interpretation of the article in this way.

Type 3 - Junior Engineer - I write software.

Type 1 - Intermediate Engineer - I write software for people.

Type 2 - Senior Engineer - I write software robust to the idea that people make mistakes.

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My experience suggests that building a software business often involves re-producing time-consuming things that others have built in a simpler way. Oftentimes, you do less thinking about the problem/solution than writing the code.

So, for some software "I write software" can be better than type 1 and type 2. What if that were the case for the majority of software that would make money?

However, I propose that this doesn't matter, since another type of engineer is higher than these 3 types.

Type 4 - Principal Engineer - I write software and I have Virtue: I get to speak words; maybe you can speak too but I won't listen, but I'll make sure you don't think negatively (enough) of me to try to reduce my Virtue. For example, I'll spend time carefully listening and explain truthfully how things are complicated until our time to chat is up.

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