Purpose first. Everything else is optional.
People who worry about AI taking their jobs often lack ambition, or worse, a sense of mission. Too many engineers tie their identity to a title or a role, mistaking employment for purpose.
Building in the age of AI means stepping away from that mindset. It means pursuing things that matter deeply to you, to the people around you, or simply ideas you want to see exist.
If your current role supports that, it’s a bonus. If it doesn’t, then it’s just income fuel to invest in what you actually care about.
The same goes for technology. Engineers cling to stacks the way they cling to roles. If a tool solves your problem, great. If not, use it as a learning fuel for something you want to build.
Note: Thoughts are personal, rephrased using LLM