u/Strict-Bee3719

I don’t know what am i doing with my life at this point, it feels like i am just a labour with the tools.
Would i be able to code without ai tools tomorrow ?
A big no for me

Is it same for everyone ?
Like what happens if the company doesn’t sponsor AI Tools how would i justify high salaries then ?

Imposter syndrome is kicking in hard to me
I face issues in reading and understanding code still after what almost 3 years if experience

I feel i cant design systems.
How do i work on these aspects or move away from tech industry completely

I don’t know if i would want to be working as a software developer post 5-7 years
But what after that ?

It kinda feels that it might happen to me only about the stories that i have heard about people riding cabs after layoffs and not able to find a new job.

Any advise or suggestion
I am kinda stuck at this point in life
I am 25 right now
Recently switched as an early engineer in a consumer based startup with 30+ as base
But still cant think what would happen post 5-7 years

Any thoughts or suggestions would help.

I don’t know what am i doing with my life at this point, it feels like i am just a labour with the tools.
Would i be able to code without ai tools tomorrow ?
A big no for me

Is it same for everyone ?
Like what happens if the company doesn’t sponsor AI Tools how would i justify high salaries then ?

Imposter syndrome is kicking in hard to me
I face issues in reading and understanding code still after what almost 3 years if experience

I feel i cant design systems.
How do i work on these aspects or move away from tech industry completely

I don’t know if i would want to be working as a software developer post 5-7 years
But what after that ?

It kinda feels that it might happen to me only about the stories that i have heard about people riding cabs after layoffs and not able to find a new job.

Any advise or suggestion
I am kinda stuck at this point in life
I am 25 right now
Recently switched as an early engineer in a consumer based startup with 30+ as base
But still cant think what would happen post 5-7 years

Any thoughts or suggestions would help.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some serious guidance. I’m currently a software engineer at a YC-backed startup (YC S24).

For the past 4–5 months, I haven't actually written any real code. My entire day-to-day has shifted to almost 100% prompt engineering. Because the pace is so fast and tasks keep piling up, I’ve reached a point where I don't even have time to think. All the thinking, planning, and logic-building just gets stalled and handed over to Claude.

The scary part? I feel like I’ve forgotten how to code.

I don’t know how things will turn out later if this continues. If I look 4–5 years down the line, I’m terrified of what my skill set will actually look like. I want to eventually switch to an MNC for more stability, but I’m scared. I feel like I’ll struggle or fail because I’ve become "handicapped" by relying on LLMs for everything.

I’m stuck in a loop where I’m too busy to upskill or practice manual coding, but I’m worried I’m becoming obsolete by only doing prompt engineering.

• Has anyone else felt their core coding skills slipping because of AI?

• How do you balance "getting the task done" at a fast-paced startup with actually maintaining your ability to write logic from scratch?

• Am I overthinking the "MNC switch," or will the lack of raw coding hurt me in interviews?

Would love any advice or perspective.