Repricing of Software Engineering Labor

TLDR · 3 weeks ago

A software engineer reflects on how LLMs have compressed the cost of implementing standard software, causing the market to reprice implementation-heavy generalist roles as lower-value work while rewarding deep domain expertise and systems knowledge. The late-2010s funding boom created demand for generalists who could ship features quickly across any technology stack, but LLMs now handle standardized CRUD apps, API integration, and framework-heavy work that once required teams. Going forward, competitive advantage shifts from breadth and implementation throughput to specialized expertise in domains where correctness, reliability, scale, and operational complexity matter.