2026 can feel like an uncertain time to be in tech. Developers today might feel anxious and concerned about everything happening lately. Tech is always changing, and over the past 11 years since I wrote my first line of code, popular programming languages and frameworks have rotated like fashion trends.
When I started learning how to code in 2015, Ruby dominated the online conversations. A couple of years later, JavaScript took the spotlight with people debating which JavaScript framework was the best to learn. Today, Python has risen to one of the most in-demand programming languages to learn.
AI has been a disruptive force, and the world has been feeling the ripple effects. Every industry has been touched by AI, and more so in tech. Developers can use AI to help them code, making debugging and refactoring much more powerful skills regardless of the language or frameworks they use.
The coding journey isn’t always smooth sailing.
It doesn’t matter if you are getting started or a senior developer who has been coding for years. This journey itself tests every developer, regardless of what goals and destinations people want to reach. That means at some point every developer will encounter challenges such as impostor syndrome and burnout along the way to where they want to be.
The technical landscape has changed a lot since 2015. This journey is now adding new challenges that developers will encounter. Developers in 2026 face new stress and anxiety with a difficult job market, company layoffs, and jobs in danger of completely disappearing.
Most Twitter chats ended as new social media platforms emerged on the scene. Many online communities struggle to cover basic operations. Coding bootcamps and online coding schools began hosting webinars helping new developers handle the anxiety and stress that comes from navigating tech through a changing landscape and addressing AI worries.
The road through tech differs for each developer.
Adda Birnir (founder of Skillcrush) once said during a webinar that learning to code is not a linear path. It is instead an s-curve with lots of highs and lows along the way. These highs and lows will vary in size for every developer, making the journey each developer takes unique.
My journey definitely is an s-curve. If anything, it might look like a bunch of squiggly lines going all over the place from languages and frameworks I’ve learned, projects I’ve made, and experiences I've had. My coding journey hasn’t been smooth sailing, and there have been times when I get too wrapped up in my head and wonder if having a place in tech is still possible for me.
I have pivoted quite a lot in tech from learning based on the languages and frameworks I’ve learned and the resources I’ve tried. I often feel like my mind has an internal GPS that often says “recalculating” when I go down different routes that would get me closer to the end. I lost count of the number of times I stopped to self-reflect to check what direction I am going in.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my future in tech for the past couple of years and even more now that I’m back on the job search. I’ve learned throughout the 11 years in tech that it is less about the destination and the paths taken that shape my tech story. As new challenges pop up for developers to face, I am re-examining the end destination that I spent years working towards and how the routes to the finish line are changing.
These changes feel like the maze is switching up the paths while I’m still inside. This is making it harder to stay hopeful as I was in 2015. I’m not sure what my future in code is going to be right now because I don’t think tech itself knows what the future has in store. Although AI is here, there is always something new waiting to shake up the coding world again.
So what should a developer do now?
There may be a lot of things happening right now, but the best thing anyone can do is have a clear target to focus on. This means concentrating on the things you can control instead of the things you can’t. When I’ve been feeling this, it seems like I am digging in the same hole and expecting different results.
Lately I’ve been pivoting away from learning more about coding to learn different skills not related to tech. I’ve been exploring design, data analysis, project management, and even a bit of AI. I’ve even been able to play around with tools I’ve always wanted to try and learn more about Agile and Scrum, two skills I’ve had on my coding to-do list from when I first started learning how to code.
I might not be writing a lot of code these days, but exploring other skills that complement coding is still helping me work towards my goal of being the best developer I can be. They also help me feel like I’m trying a new spot to dig for a bit to see what results it will bring. I haven’t given up on coding, but I am taking a bit of a break.
It is easier said than done to start paying attention to the things you can control. However, you can take baby steps to getting there. Here is a starting place developers can begin at as we all navigate everything happening in tech.
Revisit past projects.
When I was learning to code, I received a lot of advice encouraging developers to build new projects. That is still great advice in 2026, but coding isn’t about always creating something new. Developers shouldn’t forget the code they have already written.
Take some time to go through your GitHub profile and look at all the repositories you have done. Are there any that you’ve been meaning to fix or improve? Maybe one of the projects you made was written a certain language or framework that has been updated since then.
Did you make something when you started learning how to code that makes you cringe when you think about it? This is your opportunity to go back and either rebuild it using what you know now or improve on it. One thing you can do is take a project that you wrote in a different programming language and build it in another language or framework you learned.
Revisiting old projects isn’t just about making things better and current with today’s coding standards. Looking at these projects is a good way to get inspiration and motivation. It will remind you of everything that happened when you built these projects and the progress you’ve made.
Build something you love.
The market may be tough right now, but it is the perfect time to start a side project. There’s quite a few things you can do. You can:
- build the project you always dreamed of
- write a blog post on a topic that brings you joy, or whatever your imagination comes up with
- create a tool that will help you be more productive or make your life easier
- make a game you always wanted to build
This project doesn’t have to be something you code either. Maybe you want to try a tutorial for a project you're always curious about, or simply tackle a chore you’ve been meaning to do at your home. That all counts too.
When we work on side projects, there is a vision of what the final result can be. This can include reaching a certain number of followers, earning a certain amount of money, meeting deadlines, and more. Don’t worry about these details for this project.
This side project is less about the final destination and more about the process. Think of it as a way to sit back and focus on the process. That means not worrying about the destination and just having fun doing the project.
The best kind of side projects you want to do are ones that are personal to you or have a special meaning. Maybe this project is based on something you have always been interested in or enjoy doing. Perhaps you are passionate about a certain cause and want to build something that will help achieve that mission.
Just make sure you schedule a little bit of time each week to do this activity. I’ve learned that if I don’t schedule time for side projects, they never happen. Set aside a certain amount of time each week for this activity you can responsibly do and make it as non-negotiable as possible.
Conclusion
Things might feel confusing, but this is a great opportunity for developers to get back to their coding roots. It is still great advice for developers to keep building things and constantly learning. However, all developers, regardless of where they are in tech right now, can still take time to rediscover the very things that got them back into coding in the first place.
How are you doing with everything that is happening in tech right now? Are you working on any side projects right now? Feel free to post any side project ideas and non-coding activities you are doing in the comments.
Top comments (0)