Even if the job of software developers will be done by software, someone still needs to maintain and improve that software Of course; my point is that you need

Even if the job of software developers will be done by software, someone still needs to maintain and improve that software Of course; my point is that you need a lot less programmers overall. Where a team was once required, now a staff of one or two will suffice, and this trend will continue as it becomes easier to do more with less. I'm not saying that the professional programmer will cease to exist, rather, I'm suggesting that the employment prospects for developers will inevitably fall in line with other industries. Who's to say there aren't going to be new markets a few years from now? (For example, we'll need developers to write Google Glass apps). I don't think there is much longevity in a "apps for yet-another-platform" future. To-Do lists and tower defense games have lost their novelty and useful/interesting apps are pretty rare. I do see platforms like Google Glass and Occulus Rift as potentially huge markets, but the cost of producing software for these platforms continues to fall right along with the discretionary income of all your potential customers who aren't employed as software engineers. It's a rapid race to the bottom. In addition, even after all this evolution, current frameworks and languages are still horrendous. Except for the burgeoning movement of hip languages and tools you wouldn't describe as "horrible to program in" that has driven the hype and growth behind the contemporary software golden age.