How to Be a Great Software Engineer in 2026

This article discusses how the definition of a great software engineer has evolved by 2026, driven by AI advancements. The author, a CEO who now merges ten PRs daily via AI agents, argues that while the core pillars of tech mastery, business value, and collaboration remain, their weights have shifted. Deep technical skill now means reviewing AI-written code and catching edge cases, not writing from scratch. Business value is more critical as AI makes implementation cheap, emphasizing the need to build the right things. The article warns against shortcut traps and highlights that AI exposes engineers who lack fundamental system understanding, making code review and strategic thinking the new default for excellence.