Shadowing Practice: If I Had to Become a Software Engineer Again in 2026, I’d Do This - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
C1
All right, guys, so I want to talk about what I would do
165 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
All right, guys, so I want to talk about what I would do
2
if I was starting over as a developer in 2026.
3
I started coding over a decade ago,
4
and the game has changed significantly.
5
Back then, there was nowhere near as much learning material as there is now,
6
so becoming a developer was more difficult,
7
and thus, it was easier to get a job,
8
right, and start making money.
9
Like, I put a year of work in,
10
released an app to the App Store,
11
and I think I had a job making six figures within a year.
12
So tech companies were just throwing money at developers because they were so hard to come by.
13
Now in 2026, it's just a completely different ballgame.
14
So you have people that have been coding for years at this point,
15
might have a couple apps in the app store and they're still struggling to get jobs.
16
You have people with experience that are still struggling to get jobs.
17
So what would I do if I was starting over in 2026?
18
Well, the first thing I'd do is I would be building apps, right?
19
You're seeing stories every single day.
20
If you check out YouTube channels like Starter Story
21
or Super Bowl of people building
22
and launching apps almost purely with AI some of these people have zero coding experience
23
and they're building apps that can make money
24
and some of them are making crazy amounts of money right
25
like you look at something like calai that's worth they got
26
bought for tens of millions of dollars at this point
27
and stupid apps like screen blockers
28
that force you to do push-ups before you can start using instagram are making 30 40 50 k a month
29
so if i was a developer right now today i would be focusing purely on building things
30
and that gives you two advantages one your it builds your portfolio
31
so you can show off to potential employers
32
or clients to get contract work that you have apps live in the app store
33
and they don't even have to be making money it doesn't
34
have to be the next instagram you just need to get something out in the app store
35
and honestly with tools like codex claude code cursor whatever it
36
is you can put something decent together in a matter of weeks at this point
37
so i would come up with a couple app ideas
38
that i thought were profitable and you could literally just copy ideas
39
that are already making money and i would start building
40
that releasing them to the app store baking in in a subscription model for revenue generation
41
and seeing if you can start generating revenue for yourself that way.
42
And people are doing that,
43
like I said, every single day.
44
And the reason that's a twofold advantage is because not only can you build apps to start making you money,
45
but they can help land you contracts.
46
They can help land you actual jobs.
47
And that's essentially what I would be focusing all of my time on in 2026.
48
Obviously, if you really just want to lean into getting a job and having a stable income,
49
that makes sense too.
50
Here at AppStuff, we have interview courses to help you do that.
51
We also have a ton of courses
52
that will help you just level up your skills as an iOS developer
53
because the reality is you can't rely purely on AI to do this stuff.
54
I've stepped into projects that were purely vibe coded and I can't begin to tell you how bad the code bases were.
55
So the developers that are going to win in 2026 are people
56
that have enough of an understanding of how to code
57
and how software works at a high level to be able
58
to guide some sort of AI code generation into actually building you a quality product.
59
So that's what I'd be focusing on.
60
Now, in terms of the blueprint for how to actually build these things,
61
it's easy to go out on the internet
62
and just find blueprints of what people have done with their build stories to get started with this stuff.
63
So come up with a couple ideas,
64
start putting pen to paper,
65
and actually getting these apps built out and launched in the app store.
66
And you could build two to three out in a matter of months, man.
67
It's like the new world is crazy.
68
And I'm actually doing that on a day-to-day basis.
69
Like I have about five,
70
six apps that I want to release this year myself,
71
I'm sort of leaning away from the education side of my business
72
and starting to focus on actually building things because it's becoming so easy.
73
For example, I just started an AI company where I'm actually going to be,
74
I've already landed contracts, helping businesses automate their processes and reducing overhead with having to hire people by introducing AI.
75
Now, I don't know a lot about AI.
76
I don't know a lot about web development,
77
but I know enough about software engineering to be able to actually start putting these things together.
78
I have this app I'm building for this company and it's about 20,000 lines of code right now.
79
I didn't write a single one of those lines of code,
80
but I know enough to be able to read the code,
81
read the output that the AI is giving me and tell it what it's doing wrong and what it's doing well.
82
And because I have that knowledge of 10 years of experience,
83
I'm able to do that and actually put a quality piece of software together.
84
So that's what I'd be leaning into in 2026.
85
And the next thing I would lean into is documenting your journey.
86
I can't tell you guys how many contracts I've landed from just having a network on social media.
87
And you're seeing a lot of YouTube content do extremely well right now,
88
centered around people building things.
89
And that not only helps build your following,
90
but it gets you exposure for your product.
91
So a style of content that I'm leaning into with this type of stuff
92
that we're doing now and stuff I plan on doing in the near future is gonna be focused on build stories.
93
And that way, like I said, you accomplish two things.
94
You get exposure for your product and you start to build a following,
95
which you will undoubtedly get follow-up work from.
96
I think I mentioned this a little bit before,
97
but I landed a $30,000 app contract from working in a coffee shop that we were just at.
98
And it was just from introducing myself to people,
99
telling them what I do,
100
using my credentials as like an ex-meta engineer.
101
I know not everybody has that to actually land this contract.
102
And it was a piece of cake, man.
103
So expanding your network as a developer in 2026 is massive.
104
Making content is almost necessary.
105
And it doesn't have to be you in front of a camera.
106
Not everyone's good in front of a camera,
107
but you should be documenting this stuff on LinkedIn X, and maybe Instagram.
108
So that's another great way to start getting exposure for yourself as a developer and the products that you're building.
109
And lastly, guys, I would make sure that you're not just going from tutorial project to tutorial project.
110
You need to focus on building one thing really, really well.
111
So a problem I see with a lot of my students
112
when they send me their resumes for review is that they just have a bunch of like toy projects in their portfolio.
113
And ultimately, that makes people not take you seriously.
114
Like if you have a project that's not completely polished from top to bottom.
115
The UI, the UX, the functionality,
116
what it does, the monetization of it, the marketing behind it.
117
People aren't going to take you seriously.
118
And you just look like another person that treated coding as this sort of hobby, right?
119
If you're really trying to make a living off this stuff,
120
you need to treat yourself like a professional.
121
Compare yourself to an athlete.
122
Are you a hobbyist or are you actually trying to go pro at this?
123
It's the same type of concept.
124
If you look at the guy who just plays soccer or softball on the weekends,
125
he's not that good.
126
People don't take him seriously to actually do this for a living.
127
But if you look at the guy who's making sure that he's on his diet,
128
training every day, taking it seriously,
129
and actually moving towards an end goal of trying to make money at this thing,
130
that's the guy who's going to beat you out.
131
So there's a difference between being a hobbyist and actually going pro at this.
132
And if you want to go pro,
133
you need to make sure that the products
134
that you put out to the public are high quality products
135
that are a reflection of what you'll actually build for that person.
136
So for someone, you essentially need credentials behind what you're doing.
137
Like for me, it's easier because I worked at Meta.
138
So people know what I'm doing.
139
If you didn't work at a company like Meta,
140
or you just, maybe you've had a job at a startup here and there,
141
people don't know if you're actually good at what you do.
142
If you can have an app in the app store that they can go download right then and there and say,
143
hey, this is what I've built.
144
And it communicates that you know how to build a high quality product.
145
That's how you're going to like separate yourself from competition in this space.
146
But overall, man, those are the top three things that I think I would be doing as a developer in 2026.
147
If I was starting over,
148
these are actually things that I do in my day-to-day life
149
when it comes to building software and making sure that I have recurring revenue from my apps,
150
my education business, and the new clients that I'm trying to acquire with this AI business that I've started.
151
Documenting the journey and taking advantage of social media platforms
152
and making sure that you build high quality products is essentially the advice I'm giving you is what I'm taking myself.
153
That's what I'm currently doing right now as a developer with over 10 years of experience.
154
And I have the credentials of working at Meta and stuff.
155
So I don't even really need to do all this,
156
but it just gives me an advantage over people that aren't.
157
So if you guys want more content like this,
158
make sure you like and subscribe to the channel.
159
We're going to be bringing you stuff like this probably once or twice a month.
160
Comment below with what you want to see more of.
161
Make sure you follow me on Instagram.
162
Links in the description.
163
Thanks for watching this one, guys.
164
We'll see you later.
165
Peace.
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
Context & Background
In the video titled "If I Had to Become a Software Engineer Again in 2026, I’d Do This," the speaker discusses their perspective on starting a career in software development in the year 2026. With a decade of experience in coding, the speaker emphasizes how the landscape has shifted, highlighting the abundance of learning resources available today compared to the past. They share insights on the challenges new developers face regarding job placement and suggest actionable steps for aspiring developers to take advantage of current market opportunities, particularly by building apps. This serves as a valuable context for those not only interested in the tech industry but also in improving their English communication skills.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Building apps”: This phrase encapsulates a core activity that developers engage in, making it essential when discussing programming and project development.
- “Getting jobs”: A common goal for professionals, this phrase is vital in networking and job-seeking conversations.
- “Making money”: Understanding discussions around revenue generation will help you engage in conversations about business and success.
- “Live in the app store”: This phrase is specific to the tech field and can be used in conversations about app development and launch strategies.
- “Generating revenue”: This terminology is frequently used in business discussions and is crucial for anyone discussing financial aspects of projects.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To improve your English pronunciation and communication skills using the shadowing technique, follow this structured guide based on the video content:
- Find a Shadowing App: Use an effective shadowing app that allows you to play video and audio as you practice. Choose the video of the speaker discussing their career insights.
- Listen Actively: Watch the video once to understand the context. Pay attention to the phrases used, particularly those listed above.
- Repeat and Imitate: Play the video in short segments. Pause after each phrase or sentence. Repeat what you hear, focusing on mirroring the speaker's intonation and rhythm to enhance your shadow speech.
- Practice Daily: Dedicate a few minutes each day to this practice. Consistency is key for long-term improvement in both pronunciation and confidence.
- Engage with the Content: After practicing, try to create your own sentences using the phrases learned. This will boost your vocabulary and fluency in discussions.
By implementing the shadowing technique, you can significantly enhance your English skills while gaining insights from industry experts. Start today to see improvements in your pronunciation and conversational abilities!
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏