Tech Productivity Issue #365 (The Future of Software Engineering Careers)

Issue #365 (The Future of Software Engineering Careers) 02/09/26

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If your startup is new or if you're considering getting into that space, you might want to look at a recent Hacker News thread where the user asks: Is it still worth pursuing a software startup?

As explained, the question arises due to the current perceived reduction in sustainable competitive advantage (i.e. "moat") and the ease with which companies can copycat. As always, Hacker News readers tend to have a good nuanced view here.

Some of the points made in favour of new software startups:

Big companies don't copy; it's cheaper to buy out the competition, which is great for startups with an exit plan
Apps solve human problems; because problems always exists, there is always room for new startups
Small startups aren't affected by the plague of big-business internal politics
The current industry is a "Cambrian explosion" of software startup opportunities, so it's a great time to be an indie hacker

That's just a small sample of the many good reasons people gave for getting into software and/or startups even in the age of AI. Some even imply that a software startup is especially a good choice now.

Now on to this week's productivity links!

Tools & Apps

DoNotNotify — An Android app to manage and take control of your notifications, providing a simple, privacy-first way to block unwanted alerts and focus on what matters.

Magic CSV — An AI tool that lets you use a prompt to transform spreadsheet data with no formulas or scripts, allowing you to split columns, reformat dates, standardize names and get clean, import-ready data in seconds.

Brief My Meeting — An AI-powered personal assistant for email that provides a briefing email before every meeting, with research on who you're meeting and context from your inbox and calendar.

Meco — Enjoy newsletters in a space designed for reading, loved by 30,000+ users. Connect your Gmail or Outlook email or use a custom Meco address to supercharge your reading experience on iOS, Android, and web. sponsor

Firm — An open source, text-based work management system for technologists that provides a unified view of your business by representing everything as plain text files you own and control.

QuickClip — A universal clipboard manager that syncs in real time across all your devices securely, with support for files sync and dark mode.

My Time Card Calculator — A web-based tool for freelancers and contract workers, offering a simple, accurate, and professional way to calculate your work hours for the workweek, with option to save as PDF.

Articles & Resources

The Future of the Software Engineering Career — Another discussion of the new direction the engineering industry has taken, with a look at the importance of fundamentals, the decline in bootcamp paths, and the rise of internships.

Don’t Solve Problems That Don’t Exist — "Solving problems that don’t exist looks different if we’re working on an early pre-PMF or even pre-launch project ... We lack a clear sense of what matters; at best we haven’t pinpointed where value comes from, and at worst we’re creating none."

The Unbearable Joy of Sitting Alone in A Café — Something we all might want to try once in a while, which the author did during a recent four-week 'staycation', and of course without any devices.

Brain Food, Delivered Daily — Every day the folks at Refind analyze thousands of articles and send you only the best, tailored to your interests. Loved by 550,000+ curious minds. sponsor

The Napoleon Technique: Postponing Things to Increase Productivity — A look at the history of this technique along with examples on using it, why it's beneficial, and some pitfalls to avoid.

Start Your Meetings at 5 Minutes Past — A simple tip that works especially well for team members involved in back-to-back meetings, allowing participants to get to their next meeting without too much stress.

Not All Sitting Is Equal. One Type Was Just Linked to Better Brain Health. — According to this report, a systematic review of 85 studies found good reason to differentiate between 'active' sitting (e.g. playing cards or reading) and 'passive' sitting, (e.g. watching TV).

Suggestions?

Have a suggestion for a productivity-related tool, article, or other resource? Send me a direct message via X or chat via Bluesky and I’ll consider including it in a future issue.

Stay productive!

Louis
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