Recently I came across a post that summarized a mindset many engineers know too well.
The author argued that:
the AI bubble is about to collapse
“real engineers” will return to low-level tools like Zig
modern frameworks and simple app domains (especially todo apps) are “just vibe coding”
most developers today are not serious enough
only hardcore, old-school engineering counts
No names needed. You’ve seen this type of sentiment before.
It is a mix of nostalgia, irritation at hype cycles, and a belief that anything simple is automatically trivial.
If you are building something today, this kind of message can hit unexpectedly hard.
Especially if your current project looks “simple from the outside”.
It can make you feel like your work is not substantial.
Like yo…
Recently I came across a post that summarized a mindset many engineers know too well.
The author argued that:
the AI bubble is about to collapse
“real engineers” will return to low-level tools like Zig
modern frameworks and simple app domains (especially todo apps) are “just vibe coding”
most developers today are not serious enough
only hardcore, old-school engineering counts
No names needed. You’ve seen this type of sentiment before.
It is a mix of nostalgia, irritation at hype cycles, and a belief that anything simple is automatically trivial.
If you are building something today, this kind of message can hit unexpectedly hard.
Especially if your current project looks “simple from the outside”.
It can make you feel like your work is not substantial.
Like your domain is not respectable.
Like you are wasting time.
That reaction is human.
But it does not reflect reality.
Here is the reality.
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1. A simple domain does not make you a weak engineer
Todo projects look basic to people who never built one properly.
The moment you add:
authentication
sync logic
permissions
offline support
clean architecture
performance constraints
mobile/web parity
design decisions for real users
…the “simplicity” disappears.
Trello was “just a board”.
Linear was “just issues”.
Notion was “just an editor”.
Everything looks trivial until you build it well.
2. Hype or anti-hype does not define your value
Some people react to AI hype with frustration.
Some defend older ecosystems like Zig, Rust, C, Vim.
Some prefer JS, TS, Python.
Some love LLM-assisted workflows.
These are perspectives, not universal truths.
Your right to build is not dependent on:
someone else’s taste
someone else’s nostalgia
someone else’s frustration with the industry
someone else’s idea of “real engineering”
The only thing that defines the seriousness of your work is how you execute it.
3. Every project is a training ground for real skills
Even the simplest domain forces you to learn:
systems thinking
clean abstractions
readable code
data modelling
handling real-world edge cases
making trade-offs
designing for maintainability
iterating and shipping
That is engineering.
Not ideology. Not hype.
Practice.
4. Dismissive takes are noise. Your progress is signal.
People online can say whatever they want.
They do not see:
your architecture
your reasoning
your growth
your consistency
your ability to refine, fix, and finish
They comment.
You build.
Those are different worlds.
5. Keep building, even if someone belittles your path
Every engineer hits moments where a throwaway opinion cuts into motivation.
Where someone’s “hot take” makes your work feel small.
Where you suddenly doubt the value of what you are doing.
The answer is simple.
Keep going.
What you build, what you ship, what you learn -that is what counts.
Not commentary. Not condescension. Not hierarchy of “real” and “not real” engineering.
The industry moves forward because of people who show up and create.
And if you are one of them, your work matters.
The Reality Behind All the Noise
There is a recurring character in tech who loves announcing what counts as “real engineering”.
They deliver manifestos instead of products, write diagnoses instead of code, and somehow always know exactly what everyone else should be building.
It would almost be impressive if it wasn’t so predictable.
This type doesn’t talk about your work.
They talk about any work they’re not doing themselves.
Their formula is simple:
When they slow down, they preach.
When they stop shipping, they set standards.
When they feel irrelevant, they declare which domains “matter”.
It is the safest place to be — above the builders, below the responsibility.
That mindset doesn’t deserve outrage.
It deserves indifference.
Because the only thing that shuts down this performance is progress they are not part of.
Nothing is colder than quietly moving forward while others debate definitions of “real engineering”.
Let them keep writing their think-pieces.
Let them keep defining seriousness from the sidelines.
People who build don’t need permission.
And they don’t seek validation from those who stopped.
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