The thing missing from this post is any sense of whether you have talent and interest in programming. The closest you come is to say you've "gradually lost int

The thing missing from this post is any sense of whether you have talent and interest in programming. The closest you come is to say you've "gradually lost interest in [...] full-stack web development", but even there you use the language "only domain I have any real-world experience in". It's pretty clear the problem here is job search anxiety. Hey, I don't blame you, I started my software career in the summer of 2000, so I can relate to the doom and gloom. The thing to remember is that your success is not primarily determined by macroeconomic trends. Sure some industries are clearly on a downward slope and you wouldn't want to start a career there, but tech is not one of them. Software is still eating the world, and yes AI will change it, code may go away, etc, but ultimately understanding and solving problems in complex systems is going to stay an incredibly valued skill for the foreseeable future. So, are you any good at programming? If so, and it doesn't feel like pulling teeth, then I think you probably have more upside there. If not, and you want something stable and reliable over time, maybe consider the trades. Whatever you do though, understand all career success is based on being able to solve problems, and have the person with the money recognizing that you can provide an above average solution. The best path to this is get a job, any job, learn to do it exceptionally well, and make sure in your first 10-15 years you are continually learning and growing, and building good relationships with the people you work with. If you keep doing that serendipity will find you. No amount of pre-planning or strategizing is a substitute.