Staying Relevant as a Software Developer in 2025

The tech world is shifting fast — AI, LLMs, layoffs, legacy systems, cloud everything — and if you’re trying to stay employable (or break in) as a developer in 2025, it can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re a junior dev figuring things out or a senior pro navigating team dynamics, outdated stacks, and AI hype, this talk covers both the technical must-haves and the softer career strategies that matter.

Topics include:
The new expectations for software professionals
Team skills and code etiquette that make you stand out
Using LLMs without becoming obsolete
Navigating greenfield vs. legacy work
The developer “buy/hold/sell” tech stack model
Dealing with change — at your company and in your head

Interested in how I make videos? Check out my gear list:
changenode.com/gear-list/

--- Job boards
weworkremotely.com/
remotive.io/
www.usajobs.gov/
www.governmentjobs.com/ - lots of state & local gov jobs

--- Svelte FTW
svelte.dev/
www.reddit.com/r/sveltejs

--- Postgres FTW
postgrest.org/
supabase.com/
gotrue.dev/
github.com/PostgREST/postgrest

--- No/Low Code To Check Out
bubble.io/
weweb.io/

00:00 - Start
01:03 - Non-Technical Tips
02:23 - Technical Basics
03:45 - Back-end Role Basics
05:24 - AI/LLMs
06:36 - Greenfield or Legacy?
08:15 - Cloud vs Open Systems
10:12 - When Things Go Bad
11:33 - Junior vs Senior?
12:57 - LLMs taking over?
15:15 - Tech stacks: Buy, Hold, Sell?
19:59 - Low/no code?
22:07 - What does LLM integration mean?
23:47 - Beyond LinkedIn and Indeed...
25:40 - Closing Thoughts