I think this is a false dichotomy. If developers are incentivized to make stable software then they'll make stable software but that's not the case. Software engineers that work on products are promoted based on number of features they ship, not how many production outages they don't cause. It's like the senator that lobbies to put bolted doors on plane cockpits before 9/11. That senator will get zero credit for anything. Fundamentally it is harder to measure the effectiveness of preventive measures so most organizations don't and instead settle for number of features shipped.
Don't forget all the death marches to meet unrealistic deadlines that some exec or sales rep pulled out of their ass.
In far too many organizations devs are running around like the proverbial headless chickens to ship! ship! ship! while ops are endlessly fighting fire after fire.
Many teams don't have the time or manpower to afford the luxury of being proactive, and when anyone suggests doing so, tries to put the breaks on, or asks for more resources they're treated like troublemakers.
