The Changing Value of Developers in the Age of AI
My Beginning Story
I have entered web development to solve my own problems.
In early 2013, I was an online seller. I sold products under the name *eshomv*, which later changed to *Mudhaa Hub*. I wanted to create an e-commerce website for my business. At that time, I didn’t know much about websites or coding.
After researching, I discovered WordPress and WooCommerce. But I didn’t even know what web hosting was. Slowly, I learned that hosting is important to make a website live.
Those days, I have not that much earned from salary. I didn’t have much money, but I earned a little from online sales. With that, I bought a web host and started learning everything myself—how to install WordPress, how to point a domain, what DNS is, and many other basics.
At that time, I still didn’t know coding.
I started exploring themes, customizing designs, and slowly I was introduced to PHP. That’s when my real journey began. I pushed myself to learn PHP step by step.
After some years, one of my cousins wanted a website for his movie-selling shop. I searched for solutions and found themes on ThemeForest. I bought one, installed it locally, and used it.
Later, he wanted changes.
That’s when I faced a challenge.
I didn’t know how to modify the code. I didn’t even know what language it was written in. But when I explored deeper, I realized it was PHP. The code was well-structured, and that’s when I first understood something bigger—organized coding and later, object-oriented programming.
I went to YouTube and learned OOP step by step.
While exploring further, I came across a name in the code comments—Laravel. I searched for it and discovered Laravel. I still remember—it was Laravel 5.
That changed everything for me.
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Growing With Technology
As time passed, I continued learning and building.
I started with PHP, JavaScript, and jQuery. I spent a lot of time understanding how things work, not just using them.
Around 2016 or 2017, I discovered Laravel. That was a turning point for me. I also started connecting with other developer friends, and that made my passion even stronger. We shared ideas, solved problems together, and explored new technologies as a group.
From there, I started learning more frameworks and tools:
- •Frontend: Vue.js, React
- •Full-stack tools: Inertia.js
- •Styling: Tailwind CSS
- •Databases: MySQL
- •Infrastructure: DigitalOcean, Cloudflare
- •REST APIs
- •API design and integration
- •Query languages and data handling
I explored backend systems, real-time communication, and IoT:
- •Node.js
- •Webhooks
- •MQTT (Mosquitto server)
- •IoT devices like ESP32
- •Programming with Python and C++
It came from curiosity.
I spent a lot of time experimenting with friends, trying new things, breaking things, and fixing them. We learned by doing, not by following a fixed path.
Even then, I never thought about earning easily from this.
I was doing it because I truly loved building things.
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Development Was Never About Money
I didn’t start development to earn money.
I started because I felt happy creating things.
I spent days and nights learning, debugging, fixing issues, and building tools. Even when I didn’t have projects, I kept building. I created tools for myself and for my friends—things we could use daily to make life easier.
Later, projects started coming. I began earning a little.
But the passion was always the same.
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The Shift After AI
When AI entered the world, everything started to change.
Tools became faster. Coding became easier. And suddenly, people’s thinking started to change.
Clients began saying things like:
- •“You can do it quickly with AI, so the price should be lower.”
- •“We can build this ourselves.”
- •“We just need you to make it faster.”
And honestly, it creates fear.
Not fear of technology—but fear of misunderstanding.
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What People Don’t Understand About Developers
Many people think developers just “write code.”
But that is only a small part of the job.
A real developer:
- •Understands problems deeply
- •Designs solutions before writing code
- •Makes systems scalable and secure
- •Handles edge cases and unexpected failures
- •Maintains and improves systems over time
But it cannot:
- •Fully understand business logic
- •Take responsibility for production systems
- •Think long-term about architecture
- •Replace experience gained from years of failure and learning
It is thinking.
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Why Developers Are Being Devalued
The main reason is visibility.
Before AI, coding looked difficult and “magical.” Now, with AI tools, it looks easy.
So people assume:
> “If AI can do it, why pay more?”
But they don’t see:
- •Debugging complexity
- •System design decisions
- •Performance optimization
- •Security risks
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The Real Role of a Developer Today
Today, a developer is not just a coder.
A developer is:
- •A problem solver
- •A system thinker
- •A decision maker
- •A builder of reliable solutions
A powerful one—but still a tool.
The value of a developer is not decreasing.
The *visible part* of development is changing.
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Moving Forward
This is not the end of developers.
This is a transition.
Developers who only depend on coding syntax may struggle.
But developers who:
- •Understand systems
- •Think critically
- •Solve real problems
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Final Thoughts
I started this journey with curiosity, not money.
Even today, what drives me is the same feeling—creating something from nothing.
AI may change how we work.
But it should not change how we value people who think, build, and solve.
Because behind every “simple solution”…
There is always someone who understands the complexity.