Do You Actually Need to Learn Coding Anymore? (Has AI taken this away from us)

Do You Actually Need to Learn Coding Anymore? (Has AI taken this away from us)

From The Programming Podcast by The Programming Podcast

March 19, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the relevance of learning coding fundamentals in the age of AI and how it impacts career paths in tech.

With AI tools writing 90% of the code out there and "vibe coding" taking over our timelines, is learning the fundamentals of software engineering a waste of time? Leon and I sit down to finally answer the question we get asked every single day. We break down the truth about the "Agentic Era," why skipping the basics will break your apps in production, and how skills-based hiring is fundamentally changing what employers look for. If you are learning to code right now, or trying to land your next role, this is the exact roadmap you need to become the "AI-Augmented Engineer" that companies are desperately looking for. 💡 Sponsor: Level Up Financial Planning Changing careers or increasing your income? Get financial clarity with Level Up Financial Planning—helping early and mid-career tech professionals secure their financial future. Visit LevelUpFinancialPlanning.com for a free consultation! https://www.levelupfinancialplanning.com/ I wrote a book on AI! Check it out here http://developersguide.ai/ 🔥 MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: Commit Your Code 2026 is officially happening! Join us September 3rd & 4th in Plano, Texas. $40 tickets, 100% goes to charity. Come…

People in this episode

Host: Danny Thompson

Guest: Leon

Topics covered

  • AI in coding
  • software engineering fundamentals
  • skills-based hiring
  • Agentic Era
  • career development
  • vibe coding

Keywords

  • coding
  • AI tools
  • software engineering
  • career
  • skills-based hiring
  • Agentic Era
  • vibe coding
  • financial planning
  • Commit Your Code 2026

Sponsors

Level Up Financial Planning

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Commit Your Code 2026, AI, JavaScript, Plano, Texas, developersguide.ai, programmingpodcast.com

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