Famed software developer Martin Fowler says his field is in a 'depression.' Here's his advice for junior engineers.

""While businesses aren't investing, it's hard to make much progress in the software world," Fowler said. "And so we have this weird mix of no investment, pretty much depression in the software industry, with an AI bubble going on.""

""The thing with bubbles is you never know how big they're going to grow," Fowler said. "You don't know how long it's going to take before they pop, and you don't know what's going to be after the pop.""

Software development is experiencing a downturn because businesses are not investing, producing a near-depression in the software industry and contributing to major tech layoffs. At the same time, artificial intelligence is attracting heavy investment that appears bubbly and largely separate from mainstream software spending. The coexistence of low business investment and an overheated AI market creates uncertainty and unpredictable outcomes. This environment particularly affects junior engineers, who should seek mentorship from senior developers, maintain strong fundamentals, and be cautious about relying uncritically on AI-generated outputs.

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