You spent four years grinding. You got the degree. Maybe even from an Ivy League.

You worked hard. Built side projects. Learnt 10 new frameworks.

But you’re still stuck refreshing LinkedIn, ghosted after interviews.

So, what the hell happened? No $200K job. No FAANG offer.

Just rejection emails and job posts asking for 5+ years of experience for an entry-level role.

So… was the tech dream just hype?

The New Reality

• Jobs are fewer.
• Expectations are higher, way, way higher.
• Everyone’s a “full-stack AI DevOps prompt engineer and a 100X developer” now.

It’s not your fault. Five years ago, there were far fewer resources compared to what we have today.

Back then, we only had official docs. Now we have in-depth technical resources that are cheap or even free.

Everyone got an opportunity to learn. But there weren’t enough opportunities to satisfy all the learners.

The amount of information on the internet doubles every 18 months. ~ someone

There was a time when software engineers were seen as modern-day alchemists.

Six-figure offers, four-day workweeks, unlimited PTO, stock options that made you a millionaire at 26. It was a dream.

Suddenly, that “Learn React and get rich” roadmap isn’t working anymore. If you had a time machine and scrolled back on Twitter, you’d see every other post about someone landing a remote job.

Tech Became a Victim of Its Own Popularity

Remember when coding was a rare skill?

Now everyone and their cat is a “full-stack dev” on LinkedIn.

The gold rush was on. But when everyone shows up to dig, only a few strike gold.

Who actually won during that time? Bootcamp creators. They made money hand over fist. Everyone was vulnerable, driven by FOMO, and bought courses. Bootcampers struck at the perfect time.

Compare now,there are far fewer bootcamp courses than during the 2020s

Just think of it: from a country like India alone, more than 300,000 CS engineers graduate each year and enter the same global job market.

Demand was decreasing, and supply was increasing. If you’ve studied economics, you know what that means,, when supply rises and demand drops, equilibrium price falls.

Here the equilibrium price is your salary.

I’m talking about the average software engineers here, not the exceptional ones; they might be making $400K per year or more. I’m talking about the new born software engineers.

In India, service-based companies take advantage of this supply. They hire 40,000 engineers per year and pay them less than $4,000 annually. That’s not enough for a decent one-bedroom apartment and quality food. With that salary, you can survive. No personal purchases, no savings.

Don’t blame AI, blame your Mediocrity

I’ve seen at least 1,000 posts on LinkedIn claiming AI will take your job, or that someone using AI will take your job.

But think for yourself.

Look around — outside the software world, nobody cares that much about AI.

Sure, if you’re a fresh grad who’s never touched production-level code, AI feels magical. You’ll feel like you can build any app in minutes.

One comment on my latest post describe it in the best way

These AI tools will expose who can think vs. who just write code.

In 2025, your biggest value isn’t your syntax. It’s:

• Can you solve complex problems?
• Can you architect scalable systems?
• Can you think like a product person, not just an engineer?

If not, you’re replaceable — not by AI, but by someone who can.

Everyone is a Coder Now. But Not Everyone is Valuable

Even non-tech folks are building apps. That’s not bad. It’s good that they can create their throwaway apps in weeks.

Even if you are the OG of building apps, AI is tricky. Just check this post by levelsio.

You have two paths:

You either:

• Work for a company, hoping your role isn’t next in line for AI automation or budget cuts.
• Build for yourself — SaaS, content, products, anything that compounds.

Both are valid. But one gives you leverage.

The highest-paid engineers? They aren’t tied to frameworks. They solve problems, move fast, and create.

I really feel like it’s the end of being a mid-tier dev who refuses to adapt.

Play the long term Game

No, you’re probably not going to walk out of college and land a $300K offer anymore.

But you can:

• Build a SaaS tool that pays your rent.
• Launch a newsletter that reaches 10,000 people.
• Work 20 hours a week on your own terms.

The rules changed. But the game isn’t over.

The new dev stack isn’t just code. It’s:

Code × Content × Distribution × Leverage

That’s what Marc Lou is doing. Check his profile and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

You need to start before the next big shift hits.

See you at the top.

Thanks for checking out this blog.