Software development is a well-paid profession. You get to build cool things, solve complex problems, and use your brain every day.

For a long time, I took pride in being a software developer—maybe even too much pride. I looked down a little on other businesses, like simple trading. I thought my job was more complex, more intellectual, and more meaningful than repetitive or “boring” work.

Oh boy, I was wrong.

As time went on, I realized that every profession has its own pride and value.
A doctor saves lives.
A truck driver gets to see different parts of the country.
A pilot or flight attendant sees the world.

At the end of the day, all of these paths are about making money and preserving a way of life.

You could live in a rural area in a poorer country, make millions, and then buy a $10M property in Australia—that’s the equivalent of 100 years of work for someone earning $100,000 a year. And yes, that’s actually possible.

I watched a video recently—I’m not fully there yet, but I’m halfway—and I can confirm the points he was making.

So the question comes back: is software really the career to be in?
People say AI will take over.
They say the next “safe” jobs are tradesman.

But once AI is done with software, robots will come for tradesman too.

In the end, it all depends on the person: what you like, what you’re good at, and what you’re planning for. If you enjoy programming and you’re good at it, you can build a startup, solve real pain points, and maybe even create a multi-billion-dollar company. You don’t have to force yourself to work for someone else forever.

Yes, AI is scary. Many companies are firing software developers.
But as a developer today, you don’t need a 10-person team and six months to build a product. You can build an MVP—or whatever you want to call it—solo in a week.

Don’t fall into learned helplessness. Ask AI what you can do with it.

This AI battle isn’t one-sided. Big corporations should be more worried about lean startups with low costs and high speed.

If you really think about it, working for others is a bit like being a gladiator. We trade our time and energy just to buy back freedom later—through passive income, investments, or luck.

And relying on a company to keep increasing your salary until retirement? That’s unrealistic. Why would they, when they can hire younger, cheaper labor anywhere in the world—people who can work longer hours for less?

So maybe it’s time to change our paradigm.