Baidyanath Prasad - 2026: The Year Your Job Becomes a Startup

Introduction:

Recently, during the more than a week-long year-end break (thanks to my employer), I finally cut off the daily work—spent quality time with family, travelled a bit, and, importantly, sat with my own thoughts (yes, intentionally). Next month, I'll mark ten years (decade) of working in tech, and that milestone has pushed me to question what the next decade should look like. This post is a part of my self-reflection and an open note to my network about what is changing and how that’s reshaping my plans.

In 2025, a fundamental shift occurred in the tech job market. The traditional narrative of keeping your head down, climbing the corporate ladder, and retiring quietly began to break down as layoffs reached into the hundreds of thousands globally. This transformation reshaped the very meaning of "stability" within the industry. While many positions vanished, new opportunities surged for those who were easy to find, easy to trust, and visibly skilled at their work.

Many people underestimate the importance of visibility. As I observed the situation unfold, it became clear that job titles and company logos no longer provide the same level of security they once did; instead, reputation carries more weight than any resume. Your personal brand is now your true career insurance—serving as a safety net when the job market shifts and a lever when new opportunities arise.

Part 1: The Market Reality Check:

Let’s openly discuss the fact that over 211,700 tech workers lost their jobs in 2025. Companies like Google, Amazon, Intel, and UPS, along with more than 90% of other firms, underwent major restructuring. This amounts to roughly 580 job losses per day. For many of us in the tech industry, it felt very personal.

But, here's an interesting fact: the industry didn't shrink, it transformed! A viral phrase spread across the market: "AI won't take your job; the one who effectively uses it will." While people were panicking about layoffs, other companies were actively hiring. They needed different skills—faster execution and better product thinking.

In early 2025, AI-related positions saw a remarkable year-over-year growth of 25.2%. The wage premium for AI skills rose by 56%, exceeding the average wage growth. Job postings for generative AI increased dramatically, climbing from just a few hundred in 2021 to nearly 10,000 by mid-2025. The message is clear: the market rewards demonstrable expertise in this field.

Part 2: Why Visibility Changed Everything:

I spent years thinking my code would speak for itself. It didn't (at least in 2025). I learned this the hard way when switching companies—the candidates who got interviewed weren't necessarily the smartest. They were the most visible.

Studies from 2025 show that 70-85% of decision-makers care more about your online presence than your resume. One analysis found that 74% of people trust someone with an established personal brand more than they trust a resume alone.

Why? Simple. Before you walk into a room, they've already Googled you, checked your LinkedIn or Github profiles. Read your recent work. Decided whether you know what you're talking about.

A strong personal brand is not about being famous or posting all the time. It is about three simple things:

You tell your own story clearly, instead of letting others decide who you are.
Making it obvious what you're good at
Building enough trust that opportunities come to you

Part 3: Thinking Like a Founder, Not a Follower:

The engineers or professionals across teams I work with and genuinely respect; they don’t act like employees waiting for instructions. They show up like the founder of their own career, even inside a big company, and truly care about their accountability and ownership

This mindset shifts everything:

Instead of asking "Is my job safe?" → "Are my skills relevant?"
Instead of asking "Is my company stable?" → "Do I have control over my future?"
Instead of asking "Will my manager promote me?" → "Can the market discover what I do?"

This doesn't mean quitting your job. It means building your own platform—your reputation, your network, your skills—so you have options and plenty of tools in the market which are waiting for you to use.

Part 4: Building Optionality:

Recently, I watched a video by Ankur Warikoo (well know Enterprenuer based in India) where he contrasted two kinds of people. One stayed loyal to the same company for years, trusting the employer to take care of everything; the other treated every job as just a job, built skills, switched roles every 2–3 years, and moved ahead without drama when it was time to switch.

That example clarified something for me: I’m cautious about the phrase “side hustle” because it often signals distraction, not progress. What actually works for me is optionality—having multiple ways to create value so a role change feels like an opportunity, not a crisis.

Optionality can be anything aligned with your interests: building small products, consulting or advising, teaching, trading, or writing. These experiments do two things at once: they create another stream of wealth and help you rediscover an uncommon version of yourself.

Part 5: The Practical Moves for 2026:

If you're concerned about job security or just want to future-proof yourself, here's what actually works:

1. Audit your position:

Is your role easy to automate, process-heavy, or commodity work? Be honest about risk.
Check job boards: are positions like yours growing or disappearing in your market?
Don't panic, just assess.

2. Stack skills intentionally:

Pick 1-2 areas and actually go deep: System Design at scale, AI tools, data analysis, product thinking, writing, etc.
The goal isn't breadth. It's a visible expertise in something that matters.
Learn in public if you can. Share what you're building or discovering.

3. Make your work discoverable:

Write about what you're learning. Share interesting problems you've solved.
Post 2-3 times a month if you can. Quality over frequency.
Clean up your LinkedIn, Github, and Social sites like X where you network. Make it obvious what you do and why someone should care.
Use case studies, code snippets, lessons learned—whatever makes sense for your field.

4. Create breathing room:

If you find something you can do outside your job—freelance projects, client work, a small product—do it.
The goal isn't to quit your job tomorrow. It's to ensure that if it happens, you have options.
This also forces you to think like a business owner about your own skills.

Part 6: The Real Divide in 2026:

By the end of 2026, I think the gap will be obvious between the two groups:

Group A: People treating their career as a job. They update their LinkedIn when they're desperate. They blame companies & hope for stability.
Group B: People treating their career as a product. They quietly build skills, relationships, and visibility. They work on things that matter. They're not waiting for permission.

By 2030, Group B will look lucky. "How did they find that opportunity so fast?" "How did they know about that technology before everyone else?" The answer is they didn't wait for the market to come to them, they self-realised and acted systematically.

Part 7: What's Next?

I'm not here to tell you the future is uncertain (it is) or that you need to panic (you don't). I'm here to say: the rules of visibility have changed. Being good at your job is necessary. Being known for what you do is now essential. This is the beginning of a longer conversation.

I'll be sharing practical guides, templates, tools, and case studies on building your personal brand, making strategic career moves, and thinking about your career as a founder.

The future of work isn't coming. It's already here. The only question is whether you're building toward it or waiting for it to find you.

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2026: The Year Your Job Becomes a Startup