It’s 2026, and I’m still in tech, working as a Senior Software Engineer. The headlines are gloomy: AI replacing engineers, shrinking opportunities, making the craft feel less human.
I don’t buy the fatalism. If anything, this feels like a moment to sharpen up and get more deliberate.
Honestly, I enjoy it.
The work challenges me. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. I break things, get frustrated, blame the machine, and eventually fix them. Rinse and repeat.
Who wouldn’t want a job like that? It pays well too, if you know your worth.
AI has moved fast since ChatGPT launched in 2022, and it’s touched almost everyone, engineers included. I don’t believe we’re being replaced - not if we’re willing to evolve.
AI is a tool, not a substitute. Used well, it amplifies what engineers already do best. Ignore it and you fall behind; learn it and you get ahead.
Plan for this year
I’ve been fairly quiet online for years, but lately I’ve felt an urge to build things I can genuinely be proud of. Call it an existential crisis if you want. Either way, meaningful change starts with small, consistent steps.
This year, I want to:
- 1Be more visible, maintain a personal portfolio, write blog posts, and share what I’m learning.
- 2Build an achievement tracker and set deliberately unrealistic goals, just to see how far I can actually go.
- 3Re-engage with computer science and mathematics, especially data structures and algorithms.
- 4Learn Rust properly.
- 5Speak in front of 300+ people.
No grand promises, just progress. Let’s see how far I can get.