Free Guide
Software Engineer in the AI Era Survival Guide
Reddit says AI will replace you. YouTube says learn prompt engineering or you're done. X has a new doom thread every week.
Here's the honest picture — from a former Engineering Manager and Tech Lead who has reviewed hundreds of engineering applications and is still writing code every day.
Free. Delivered instantly. Includes the Real Numbers biweekly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime.
What's Inside
Before you read this
Five questions circulating in every engineering Slack and X thread right now. Nobody is answering them honestly. This guide answers all five.
The honest state of SWE in 2026
Not the doom post, not the hype. What AI actually changed about the job — and the data (SignalFire, BLS, Anthropic) the headlines skip.
Two paths, clear eyes
Employed engineer vs. solo builder vs. hybrid — honest trade-offs, side by side. Written by someone doing both simultaneously.
Skills that actually matter
What compounds, what atrophies, and a self-audit. Self-advocacy with AI, system design, skill atrophy habits, distribution basics.
Your 90-day starting point
Two concrete plans: one for engineers with a day job, one for going full-time solo. Specific deliverables, not a vague roadmap.
45 pages. Free. Delivered immediately on signup.
Stop reading doom threads. Get the real picture.
Free guide + the Real Numbers biweekly newsletter.
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.