The Future Of Web Development

Is the web developer profession dying? Is it still a good career path or should you consider other options. After all, looking at all the bad industry news we got in the last few months, even farming sounds like a more stable and reliable choice.

By the way, I’ve been a web developer for the past 15 years, so I’m in the same boat as you guys.

Of course, tech has always evolved rapidly, but this time, it feels different. These new tools aren’t just optimizing workflows — they’re automating tasks that were once in the hands of skilled developers. Suddenly, things like building responsive layouts, converting designs to code, and even debugging complex logic are being outsourced to AI.

But before you trade your keyboard for a tractor, let’s take a closer look at what’s really happening. Is this shift really a threat? The future of web development may look different, but that doesn’t necessarily mean this career is disappearing.

First of all, I’m not really a believer in the idea that this automation will give us more time to focus on higher level stuff like strategy, creativity or problem-solving. These are rather abstract promises, and, honestly, they feel a bit like a convenient sales pitch.

The reality is, automation in tech often leads to even tighter deadlines, higher expectations, and a constant push to deliver more—faster. If history is any indication, rather than getting to ‘think big’ all day, we’re more likely to see increased pressure to churn out features and push updates at a relentless pace.

On top of that, high level strategy and creativity don’t come naturally to most of us. It might sound weird, but these are also skills you have to polish over time in the right environment.

So, instead of buying into the idea of abstract ‘future skills,’ I’m more interested in concrete, hands-on approaches to stay relevant in the industry.

One significant shift we’re already seeing is a higher barrier to entry for newcomers. Part of this is due to the current economic climate and the post-COVID slowdown in tech projects. But more importantly, the fact that generative AI can handle most basic dev tasks now means there are fewer entry-level opportunities. What used to be a role for a senior developer supported by a couple of junior devs can now be managed by that one senior dev alone.

1. Understand The Why

That brings me to one of the biggest assets you can build in this new landscape: a strong understanding of the why behind what we build, not just the how. With more of the ‘how’ being handled by AI, understanding the business needs, the user experience, and the strategic decisions behind a project will become essential.

The “why” can have technical implications as well. In a landscape where AI can churn out code but lacks context, developers who understand the bigger picture will be the ones making a real difference. Knowing when to optimize for speed, when to prioritize scalability, or how to future-proof an application will set you apart.

2. Be a Better Dev

Next, and I cannot stress this enough - we need to become better developers. This means not only doubling down on core programming skills, mastering algorithms and data structures, and understanding the intricacies of how our code interacts with the hardware and network layers.

This actually means stepping out of your comfort zone and diving into different branches of software. Learn about systems languages and embedded programming, explore the unique challenges game developers face when building their products or study the DevOps space.

By broadening your knowledge beyond traditional web development, you’re equipping yourself with skills that can make you more versatile and valuable in the field.

3. Become A Generalist

All these are necessary because we need to become generalists. This is somewhat of a hot take because sometimes the premise is that generative AI can do pretty much anything good enough, but can’t really excel. Well I disagree with that, mostly because it takes seconds for a model to be trained on all existing literature on a specific topic, while us humans have a limited capacity for absorbing information.

Where we can excel, though, is in using the generated output and assembling it like a jigsaw puzzle. To do this well, you need a solid understanding of the entire development landscape and the ability to easily switch contexts between different kinds of problems.

4. Be Tool Agnostic

Finally, and I’m sure we all are happy to hear this, frameworks and libraries will matter less and less. For the past 10 years the web space got famous for its framework wars, but in 2024 we are finally seeing a clear framework alignment for both developer experience, and performance results.

Sure, there still are slight differences, but it is now easier than ever to jump between frameworks, and tools like astro make this more seamless than ever.

So, as frameworks converge and become more interchangeable, the emphasis in web development will shift from what we’re using to how we’re building. Developers who can work flexibly across tools will have a major advantage. Rather than being framework specialists, we’re moving toward a landscape where being a problem-solver and a quick learner matters most.

In short, web development is changing, and there’s no point in fighting it. Your skills are now more important than ever, and you have to get out of your comfort zone if you want to stay competitive.

If you are still concerned about your future as a web developer, here are some other videos you might find insightful.

Until next time, thank you for reading!