If you were a junior in 2026, what would you build first to get hired?

Quick discussion post.

If you were starting from scratch in 2026 and could build only one thing to help you get hired, what would you build first?

I’m not asking for “the perfect project”. I’m curious what signals matter most right now.

Quick poll (pick one)

• [ ] A clone (Netflix/Twitter/Spotify style)
• [ ] A small real product (one problem, solved well)
• [ ] A technical demo (one skill, shown deeply)
• [ ] Open-source contributions (PRs + collaboration)

Why that choice?

When someone says “build a project”, it can mean different goals:

• “Can you ship something end-to-end?”
• “Do you have depth in one area?”
• “Can you collaborate with others?”

Which one matters most to you in 2026?

What matters more than the idea?

If you review junior portfolios (or you’ve been hired recently), what’s the #1 thing you pay attention to?

• A live demo (deployed)
• A clear README (setup + decisions)
• UI/UX polish
• Tests
• Performance details
• Security basics
• Code quality

Your turn

1) What would you build first to get hired? (1–2 sentences)

2) What’s the #1 thing you look for in a junior portfolio?

Comments

[Prajwal P B]

Even I'm a Fresher itself. According to me, I'd pick a small real product. It shows you can scope a problem, make trade-offs, and ship end-to-end. The biggest signal is how clearly someone explains their choices whether it's architecture, scope, or trade-offs.

[yusuf yonturk]

I totally agree. Shipping a functional product end-to-end shows a lot more grit than just knowing the theory. Being able to articulate the 'why' behind architectural choices is definitely what sets someone apart. Are you working on any cool side projects at the moment?

[Evan Lausier]

Probably a demo to get hired. Id build a small real product if I wanted to sell it myself.

[yusuf yonturk]

Thanks—makes sense. For a “demo”, what kind do you think signals the most value in 2026 (e.g., system design, performance, AI integration, security, or testing)? And what’s the one thing you’d expect to see on the demo page/README to take a junior seriously?

[Evan Lausier]

I would think an AI Integration demo could do well. A lot of companies are trying to figure out their AI go to market strategy before everyone else. Where they can leverage, how they can leverage, ect... . Some AI integrated business process would get a lot of kudos in my opinion.