AI didn't take your job — the fundamentals-first plan that survives

Real part: entry-level got harder (dev employment aged 22–25 down ~20% from 2022). But AI took the boring junior tasks, not the developer — companies like IBM are tripling juniors who can direct AI. The old path (ratt syntax) is closed; the new path (fundamentals + directing AI) is open and less crowded. The plan: master fundamentals (start CS50, cs50.harvard.edu), build 2–3 real projects with AI as your pair, and learn to review its output. That’s what stays valuable no matter what ships next.