[nsguy]

I think the reality is that demand for good software developers is only going to grow. This has been the trend since the 1960's and it shows no signs of reversing. There have been periods of slowdown and reversal (e.g. dot com bust) but the trend continues.

Good software developers are a scarce resource. There's a lot that goes into the mix of making one. AI can't replace them yet. They're critical for the success of many businesses.

We were in layoff mode but that seems to be reversing. Even if we see a bit more ups and downs the trend of more technology everywhere and the increasing demand for building and maintaining all that technology is not going away. The only real game changer is AI but when AI replaces all good software developers it has replaced everyone in the job market and we have bigger worries if we're even still around.