If you are the only user of your code, and you only ever run your code stand-alone, and it completes it's task(s) within a timeframe that is reasonable, you will never have occasion to need to benchmark.

However, sometimes your code will have to share a box with other code. Sometimes, throwing more hardware at a problem will not be an option. Sometimes the obvious, simple solution will not be quick enough for the requirements, and will leave people waiting for answers.

Does anyone ever say: "I wish program X took twice as long to load and consumed 3 times as much memory"?

Does any user of a program ever say: "I don't mind the bloat"; or "I don't mind waiting for the answers"?

Or is it only programmers that say, tardy profligacy should be a way of life?