I disagree because it suggests, at least to me, not writing code. I would fully agree if it said something like: Solving problems regardless of writing code.
The user doesn’t care who wrote what code but they sure as hell care about quality of product. If you want to differentiate a developer is going to have to get their hands dirty with an original solution as the situation demands.
I think your interpretation is right but I actually agree with the idea that you should avoid writing code if it's not necessary to solve the problem.
It has nothing to do with letting the user know who wrote what code. It is all about quality of product like you say. For example, less code means less opportunity for bugs. And, using off-the-shelf solutions means more support resources will exist. Off-the-shelf solutions also let you draw on the knowledge of experts in that space rather than reinventing the wheel.
> A software engineer’s job is not to write code, it’s to solve problems, by writing code when necessary.
This is a good litmus test to detect the presence of a senior developer.