AI for Software Engineers: Looking Forward to 2026
Plus, help me improve the newsletter!
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