Unit tests are a tool. Just like any other tool they need to be used appropriately. You’re articles point out they’ve become a hammer and every software project is a nail. I retired before TDD came into vogue. But I’ve picked up the capability and use it where appropriate. IMO it is more a regression testing tool than a development, per se, tool.

I see it that way because of how I’ve always developed successful software. Write some code, write some code that exercises the code, fix the original, the exercise, or, often, both to make things work. Early on that exercise code got tossed often to be recreated for testing when something broke.

Now I write that exercise code in a unit test framework so it is preserved. Hence, my consideration a regression testing. If an exercise fails I changed something that may need to be fixed.