Happy New Year! Thank you all for your support in 2025! 2026 will be an even better year for AI for Software Engineers! Here’s a recap of the year, what to look forward to in 2026, and a few questions to help me improve the newsletter. 😊
Looking back
In 2025, we:
Reached 100 paid subscribers to become a Substack Bestseller.
Reached 11,000+ free subscribers.
Hit #1 on Hacker News.
Underwent two name changes (Society’s Backend —> ML for SWEs —> AI for SWEs).
Got a new logo that I think actually works (see image above).
Released 38 weekly reports and many other technical articles.
Created a repo to learn by building (more on this below).
Our top 5 articles of this year were:
![[Revised] You Don’t Need to Spend $100/mo on Claude Code: Your Guide to Local Coding Models](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fARn!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb194c53f-7b2b-4f74-942b-5cf1c59b32aa_1920x1080.jpeg)
Going forward
I plan to:
Add to the AI for SWEs repo and let all of you contribute too. I want to create more hands-on resources, but I want this repo to be an opportunity for you to create those resources as well.
Simplify my approach to writing. I want think less about what I think will do well and focus more on sharing what I think is most important for all of us to know. I also found myself getting caught up in the process I use for writing, instead of getting caught up in the topic I’m writing about (which is a great thing!).
Add more paid benefits with a focus on discounted learning and building resources. Thanks to all who’ve supported me by becoming a paid subscriber. It lets me devote more time to my writing. My plan for 2026 is simple: Make the paid tier to much value it’s a no brainer and ensure it providers everything you need to make it in AI.
Take better care of my own health so I can be more consistent. There were a few weeks this year where I was unable to write due to my health and I missed writing during those week. Next year, I’m prioritizing my health.
Now, help me improve AI for Software Engineers! Answer two questions for me.
Question 1:
Question 2:
Question 3:
As always, thank you for reading!
Always be (machine) learning,
Logan