alt Hacker News> just 20 years ago, all the most popular software shipped with NO tests
not sure what you're point is here. It sounds similar to "we use to use blood letting and leeches and doctors didn't clean their hands and everything was fine so what are you getting at?"
Good tests have real benefits. The fact that people shipped without them in the past in no way suggests they aren't needed or have no point.
Also, 20 years ago SW was tested by QA department and approved before shipping. Don't want to go back to that, but there were testing, just differently.