5 years of Node.js experience is worth 6 months now.

AI broke the barrier to syntax.

Pre-AI era:

→ Stack switch: months
→ Primary skill: syntax and library mastery
→ Hiring for: 5 years in a specific language
→ Stack: web, mobile, backend
→ Junior role: writing boilerplate

AI era:

→ Stack switch: hours
→ Primary skill: system design and orchestration
→ Hiring for: ability to ship and debug complexity
→ Stack: LLMs, RAG, agents, vector DBs
→ Junior role: fighting for relevance

You used to prove value by writing code.
Now you prove it by knowing which code not to write.

The stack moved up a layer.
From languages to capabilities.

You catch AI-hallucinated bugs when you master fundamentals.

Adaptable engineers got a force multiplier.
Conservatives are in for a very difficult decade.

Master the layer that matters now.