What about juniors?

A senior engineer reflects on how the role of junior software engineers is changing in the current era of AI and automation. The core argument is that juniors should engage earlier with business context, economics, product, and customers rather than spending years in a purely technical apprenticeship. While the craft of programming matters less as a gating skill, deep understanding of computer science fundamentals and theory becomes more valuable. The recommended path remains: own projects, talk to customers, carry a pager, and be accountable. Juniors who embrace broader scope have strong career prospects; those seeking narrow, low-ambiguity task work face a less certain future.