Why we'll need more software engineers in 5 years, not fewer
jonathan_wilke · x · 2026-10-14
A contrarian take argues that in 5 years we'll need more software engineers, not fewer. The core logic: software's biggest constraint has never been a shortage of problems worth solving, but the cost of solving them. Millions of businesses still run on spreadsheets, emails and outdated systems because a $200,000 custom build never made financial sense. If AI drops that to $20,000, suppressed demand gets unleashed — a 3-person team doing the work of 10 doesn't mean 7 people are out of a job; it means far more projects get built.
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