Quiz data from 162 developers shows 70% say almost nobody outside their team knows their work, Rockstar Developer University founder John Sonmez reports.
San Diego, CA (PRUnderground) November 11th, 2026
Most software developers worried about AI have a visibility problem, not just a skills problem. That’s the finding from early data on a free career quiz released by Rockstar Developer University, the career program for software developers founded by author John Sonmez.
Of 162 developers who completed the quiz between October 20 and November 10, 2026, 70% said that outside their own team, almost nobody or only a few former coworkers know what they are good at. Only 6% said people they had never met follow their work.
The quiz scores each developer from 0 to 100 on how replaceable their career looks: how visible their work is, what a hiring manager would find if they searched their name, and their current job situation. 79% of the developers scored in the “exposed” or “at risk” range, and 4% scored as “hard to replace.” The average score was 46.
Their biggest AI worries were split almost evenly: getting hired when AI does half the job, being cut in the next round of layoffs, depending on a single paycheck, and feeling stuck. 36% said they were already looking for their next role.
“AI can write code. It can’t build your reputation,” said John Sonmez, founder of Rockstar Developer University. “When a company decides who to keep or who to hire, the developer they already know about has the edge. Most good developers are invisible outside their own team, and that’s the part they can actually fix.”
The full results, including answers to “Will AI replace software engineers?” and “Is software engineering dead?”, are published at https://simpleprogrammer.com/will-ai-replace-software-engineers/.
Developers who take the quiz get their score immediately and can request a free two-page AI-Proof Career Report. It covers what a hiring manager is likely to find when searching their name and suggests a 30-day plan built around one first step. The quiz takes about two minutes and is free at https://go.rockstardeveloperuniversity.com/yt/ai-quiz.html.
Methodology
Results come from 162 developers who completed the Rockstar Developer University AI-proof career quiz online between October 20 and November 10, 2026. Respondents chose to take the quiz, mostly after seeing online ads, so the results aren’t a random sample of all developers. Test submissions are excluded.
About Rockstar Developer University
Rockstar Developer University helps software developers build careers that AI can’t easily replace by making their work visible through YouTube, LinkedIn, writing and speaking. It was founded by John Sonmez, author of “Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Life Manual” and founder of Simple Programmer. Learn more at https://rockstardeveloperuniversity.com.
Media contact
John Sonmez, Rockstar Developer University
john@simpleprogrammer.com
