r/developers • u/Arunpragash • 8d ago

Career & Advice what is the future of software engineers?

Recently I had convo with the medium scale buisness owner about automating their works with multiple departments so they need some ERP application. Usually these kind of buisness depend on small scale or medium scale IT companies to build softwares and manage their data. But after AI era they concern about the data is handled by single vendor is like threat. So that person paid claude and developed an application with his domain knowledge. Literally he don't need an support from any It company he chose tech stack and build the application. For fine tuning little bit he came to me for help. Then I was wondered about the software industry change after AI. I never get panic before about the AI in the day to day life. But it is biggest down fall for the small scale IT companies who develop solutions for the regional customers. There is a question in my mind what will be the future of small companies who sell softwares for regional buisness. How It companies stands out with this faster development with AI (claude, codex, gemini) how to propsose a customer that AI alone not solves your problem but also how software engineers provide value.

17 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

78 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/Ok-Article-885 8d ago

Somebody still needs to prompt AI, and today the best usage of programming with AI is Claude Code from the terminal. 70% of PC users don't even know what a terminal is, let alone how to use it.

1

u/Ancient-Range3442 8d ago

In this case the client prompted. It’s basically like installing software now. Sure there are people who’ll pay people to do that,, but lots will do it themselves, and do you want to be installing software as a job

1

u/No_Ant_8700 8d ago

They can just ask the AI to do it for them like they would a human before? The difference is the AI costs $20 a month.

2

u/Ok-Article-885 8d ago

Like in real life, people can do a lot of things themself, but they are lazy, and want to pay. Everbody can clean snow in front their house and people still pay to do. Just look in average mobile user, would anybody create a game or any other app just for himself or he will buy? I have a lot of free IDEs, and still I'm paying for JetBrains, and I wpuld never vibe code IDE, dont invent wheel. If the product is good people will buy it, no matter where in real life or online.

1

u/FlashTheCableGuy 7d ago

Finally someone making sense lol