Why I am not giving up on Software Engineering (and you shouldn't either)

If you’ve read the news lately…

Things are not looking great for software engineers.

Tech layoffs. Brutal job market. Companies dragging you through 7 interview rounds - just to ghost you because of "culture fit".

Some developers have been unemployed or under-employed for months.

Living off savings. Downsizing their lives.

Others are losing hope.

Quitting.

Switching careers.

There’s a growing trend on Reddit:‍

Some self-taught devs going back to trades—plumbing, welding, construction.

They say it’s more stable. The money is good. You find work easily.

I get it.

For some, it might be the right move.

But, I believe many are missing the point.

Most software engineers are better off writing code than fixing toilets.

Let’s look at the facts:

1. Tech is still high-leverage and high-margin ($$$)

• Google, OpenAI, Stripe, Airbnb—operate at global scale with relatively small teams.
• Tech still drives GDP growth, innovation, and global infrastructure.
• AI, cloud, and security ain't going anywhere.

2. Geopolitics needs tech

• War is pushing defense spending into overdrive (sadly).
• That means billions of $$ in AI, drones, cybersecurity, semiconductors.
• Defense startups like Palantir are mostly software.

3. Trades are cyclical too (I saw it first hand in 2028)

• If construction slows, so do plumbing jobs.
• Software scales. It’s location-independent. It builds equity.
  

So no, the software industry isn’t dying.

And it’s not being eaten alive by AI.

(most tech CEOs are hyping doom to sell their AI tools)

What’s really happening is:

• It’s getting harder to get in—especially if you're self-taught.
• The bar is rising.
• The market is becoming binary: you either get $100K+ or unemployed.
  

But when you’re in, the upside is still insane.

Meta is still paying $500K for top roles.

Solo devs are building 6-figure SaaS products from their bedrooms (try to do that as a plumber).

Meanwhile, outside manual labor or stable government jobs (in Europe), most white-collar fields are even worse—saturated and stagnant.

So, unless you want to start laying bricks or wiring up houses...

Your best bet?

Get better.

Better technically.
Better at thinking like a Senior engineer.
Better at navigating the job market.

Cuz' you can’t fix the economy.

But you can fix your skills.

And when the tide turns—and it will turn (I saw it in 2008)— you’ll be ready.

Btw, August spots are filling up fast.

If you're serious about leveling up...

‍Book a call here to see if you'd be a fit for our Mentorship.

Talk soon,

Dragos