Friend makes $230K base, $75K/yr equity 4 year cliff (but with refreshers), and $35K/yr company+individual performance bonus (340K TC) working as a SWE in tech. He's in his early 30s and works around 30-35 hours a week (but is on call once a quarter, where he will work/be on standby for 50-55 hours for that week). He thinks his lifetime salary ceiling is around $500K, and is thinking of pivoting to law to break that cap (partner ambitions). Should he pivot?

I am a Software Engineer seeking an AI/ML Internship or Entry-Level AI Engineer position where I can learn, contribute, and grow my skills in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. My AI learning journey includes: • Completed the Deep Learning and Neural Networks course by Andrew Ng. • Studied the book "Understanding Deep Learning" (2023 edition). • Currently following Andrej Karpathy's "Neural Networks: Zero to Hero" series.

Would you quit a software engineer job that pays $250K in NY right out of college to go to law school?

As I continue my journey from IT support into software development, I’m curious to hear from experienced developers, hiring managers, and tech professionals. If you were starting over in 2026 and wanted to become a software developer, what skills would you focus on learning first?