Zed is a master of subtle provocation (and not-so-subtle, if you are familiar with his other projects). I suspect that he doesn't actually think that it's easier to become a real designer than it is to be a programmer. But there's a certain amount of truth to the idea that one could pick up Photoshop, or a wireframing tool, or a bit of HTML and CSS, and start turning their ideas into designs much faster than one could learn enough programming to build a full application prototype. Working that insinuation into the title attracts readers.
I've been doing design-by-necessity on projects for 15 years. I even take time to study and understand design concepts. While I'm an OK UX guy, I still pretty much suck as a designer.
It's easily as hard as programming, but for very different reasons. And because of those reasons, it may be a good alternative for the "suit" partner to learn.
I think you nailed my issue. Based on the thoughtfulness of his response to Shipper, I'm pretty sure that his recommendation is not a statement about the lack of depth in the design field. The problem I have is packaging.
