I see your point but disagree. Engineering is about constraints. Time, materials, labor, scope.

The “evil” of premature optimization is that it’s a misapplication of priority. If I have an acute medical problem that needs attention, it’s not the right time to talk about chloresterol and statins, get my broken leg set.

There’s always a tension between engineering management who needs to deliver a solution to the business and engineers who want to deliver a beautiful object.