The $200K Developer Dream Is Over – Here's the Reality in 2026(medium.com)
medium.com
The $200K Developer Dream Is Over – Here's the Reality in 2026
https://medium.com/@sovannaro/the-200k-developer-dream-is-over-heres-the-reality-in-2026-b8718dc8292b
16 comments
I suppose I can't afford to become a "member" in order to read your article about it then.
A company I just left hired all of their development teams from Eastern Europe.
Their rate was a fraction of teams in the US and communication was great.
Perfecting remote work during covid showed companies how easy it is to hire cheaper developers in other countries.
Their rate was a fraction of teams in the US and communication was great.
Perfecting remote work during covid showed companies how easy it is to hire cheaper developers in other countries.
I regularly interact with devs and project managers in Eastern Europe. Their quality is top-notch and their English is good enough you'll forget they're not natives. Most importantly, their mentality is American. Like... weirdly American.
Yes means yes, no means no, "how was your weekend" and then down to business. It's a pleasure interacting with them.
Yes means yes, no means no, "how was your weekend" and then down to business. It's a pleasure interacting with them.
I do as well, and agree 100%.
Funny story, the lead on our Eastern European team told me a while back that he had to tell his team:
When the North Americans ask at the beginning of a meeting "How's it going?", they do NOT really want to know how you are doing. It's just social lubrication before getting to work.
Before that, we were getting to learn that their mother in-laws in town or different medical issues.
Funny story, the lead on our Eastern European team told me a while back that he had to tell his team:
When the North Americans ask at the beginning of a meeting "How's it going?", they do NOT really want to know how you are doing. It's just social lubrication before getting to work.
Before that, we were getting to learn that their mother in-laws in town or different medical issues.
There must be different strains of American out there.
There’s no such thing as an American… until you work closely with other cultures and suddenly there’s definitely such a thing as an American
My companies been pretty turbulent since COVID so I’ve had to do a lot of near shore and off shore hiring. “You get what you pay for” still mostly holds true. There’s a lot of arbitrage in junior devs, but good senior talent has mostly realized they can get a lot more.
I can’t imagine ever working with India, etc again though. If you’re already eating the time zone cost Eastern Europe is much better.
I can’t imagine ever working with India, etc again though. If you’re already eating the time zone cost Eastern Europe is much better.
I lost my job due to AI.
Not a great article
This just regurgitates low-quality general arguments from the past few years, and demands payment to read it. I don't even think this is AI slop, but this is badly written slop. Very badly written slop.
Waste of time. Article cuts off. Medium is useless.
TLDR: "previous years of boom provided 100k jobs straight out of college, 200k jobs and a guaranteed path to wealth soon after that. That time is over."
Right. And this, IMO, is not a bad thing. We had a long, multi-year bubble and bubbles are not good for anyone. Deflating bubbles can be painful, but they are less painful than bursting ones.
And the current software bubble is deflating, not bursting -- there are still plenty (say, compared to the last 50 years average) of jobs where a good engineer comfortable with programming will make a very good living. So do still learn CS or SE in college, but as a minor to another STEM field. My 2c.
Right. And this, IMO, is not a bad thing. We had a long, multi-year bubble and bubbles are not good for anyone. Deflating bubbles can be painful, but they are less painful than bursting ones.
And the current software bubble is deflating, not bursting -- there are still plenty (say, compared to the last 50 years average) of jobs where a good engineer comfortable with programming will make a very good living. So do still learn CS or SE in college, but as a minor to another STEM field. My 2c.
> So do still learn CS or SE in college, but as a minor to another STEM field. My 2c.
What other STEM field, if I may ask?
What other STEM field, if I may ask?
It really depends on the person. This may be an unpopular opinion today, but I strongly believe that someone doing what he loves will statistically be both happier and better off financially than someone in only for the money. So whatever makes their ears perk up: EE, chemistry, mechanical, math, physics, biology, etc.
And, as a complement, pick up a "computer-ish" minor to learn how to make a machine do your bidding. My 2c.
And, as a complement, pick up a "computer-ish" minor to learn how to make a machine do your bidding. My 2c.
Thanks. And why is CS not in STEM?
> And why is CS not in STEM?
It sure is. If I said that it is not it was a typo.
What I was saying is that today I see a non-CS STEM major plus a CS-like minor as a better ticket for an undergrad (who will enter the job market in the next 2-4 years) than a CS major. Which was not the case for the last almost 30 years, when a pure CS major gave many folks an excellent start. My 2c.
It sure is. If I said that it is not it was a typo.
What I was saying is that today I see a non-CS STEM major plus a CS-like minor as a better ticket for an undergrad (who will enter the job market in the next 2-4 years) than a CS major. Which was not the case for the last almost 30 years, when a pure CS major gave many folks an excellent start. My 2c.