Contrary to fears of job replacement, AI coding systems expand what software can achieve, fueling a surge in project complexity and ambition. This trend increases the overall volume of code and the need for high-level human oversight, resulting in continued growth for developer roles rather than a reduction.

Atlassian's CEO argues that as AI makes software creation cheaper, the key differentiator becomes design—how a product feels and works. This is a scarce resource that is much harder to copy than features, making it the new source of competitive advantage.

Increased developer productivity from AI won't lead to fewer jobs. Instead, it mirrors the Jevons paradox seen with electricity: as building software becomes cheaper and faster, the demand for it will dramatically increase. This boosts investment in new projects and ultimately grows the entire software engineering industry.

Don't view AI through a cost-cutting lens. If AI makes a single software developer 10x more productive—generating $5M in value instead of $500k—the rational business decision is to hire more developers to scale that value creation, not fewer.

AI makes tasks cheaper and faster. This increased efficiency doesn't reduce the need for workers; instead, it increases the demand for their work, as companies can now afford to do more of it. This creates a positive feedback loop that may lead to more hiring, not less.

The narrative of AI destroying jobs misses a key point: AI allows companies to 'hire software for a dollar' for tasks that were never economical to assign to humans. This will unlock new services and expand the economy, creating demand in areas that previously didn't exist.

Instead of fearing job loss, focus on skills in industries with elastic demand. When AI makes workers 10x more productive in these fields (e.g., software), the market will demand 100x more output, increasing the need for skilled humans who can leverage AI.

AI coding assistants won't make fundamental skills obsolete. Instead, they act as a force multiplier that separates engineers. Great engineers use AI to become exceptional by augmenting their deep understanding, while mediocre engineers who rely on it blindly will fall further behind.

The idea that AI will enable billion-dollar companies with tiny teams is a myth. Increased productivity from AI raises the competitive bar and opens up more opportunities, compelling ambitious companies to hire more people to build more product and win.