AI, layoffs and the future of developers
Yesterday I had a coffee with one of my mentors. He runs one of the biggest networks of freelance developers in Europe. They operate in 17 countries with thousands of developers in all different tech…
Dragos Nedelcu
Aug 15, 2023 · 2 MIN READ
- JavaScript & its frameworks are still the most in-demand technologies if you want to build things on the web (Python is gaining popularity again mainly because of the AI stack).
- AI, Low/No Code platforms, and Automation mean developers that are only “code crunching” or only specialized in one domain will soon be obsolete.
- The market will be separated between developers that can work with AI tools across the entire stack, end-to-end, and developers who will specialize in one technology/topic and become experts (accessibility, web performance); developers stuck in the middle will become obsolete.
- A new kind of developer is born: The Product Engineer. They are as focused on the product and the business as the technology. They spend most of their time integrating tools, APIs, and existing platforms with each other rather than building things from scratch. They excel at System Design and Debugging and have integrated AI into their workflow.
- Junior and Mid-level developer positions will almost disappear; in this economy, companies are interested in Senior Devs that can deliver independently end-to-end (a.k.a. Junior Developer is dead)
- The most liked profile by companies is not an experienced Senior Developer demanding an astronomical salary but a Mid/Senior or early Senior Developer that can deliver at the Senior level but has reasonable salary expectations.
- Despite layoffs, inflation, and AI, developer salaries are still going up. Developers stuck with “old salaries” either negotiate, switch jobs or risk leaving up to 20ks on the table.
- Companies are still doing a lot of freelance projects but want to hire more permanent employees.
- Developers wanting to earn more in this market either re-invent themselves, master new skills or stay underpaid and undervalued. This is an employer market, there is too much talent around, and you must stand out.
- Low code is gaining popularity again and is worth getting familiar with, even if you don’t work with it on your day job.
