'Software is dead' every decade since 1994, yet demand for engineers keeps hitting new highs
dotey · x · 2026-10-21
Developer svpino recounts four waves of "software is dead" predictions across his 30-year career: in 1994 he was told programming was for nerds and to become a doctor or lawyer; in 2004, that offshore developers at $5/hour would take his job; in 2014, that no-code would doom the profession; and in 2024, that Devin, Windsurf, Copilot and o1 will replace engineers. His takeaway: the death knell rings every decade, yet demand for good software engineers has never been higher.
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