2022 will be remembered as the year tech changed direction. The endless growth era met economic reality. The AI revolution went mainstream. Remote work became permanent. And layoffs reminded us that tech jobs aren’t immune to cycles.
Here’s my reflection on what happened and what it means.
The Big Shifts
End of ZIRP Era
zero_interest_rate_ending:
what_changed:
- Fed raised rates aggressively
- Cost of capital increased
- Growth-at-all-costs died
- Profitability became essential
impact_on_tech:
valuations: Down 50-80% for many companies
hiring: From war for talent to layoffs
focus: From growth to efficiency
culture: From "move fast" to "be sustainable"
lessons:
- Unit economics matter
- Cash flow isn't optional
- Efficiency is a feature
- Fundamentals always win eventually
The Layoff Wave
layoffs_2022:
scale:
- Meta: 11,000 (13%)
- Twitter: ~3,700 (50%)
- Stripe: ~14%
- Many others across industry
causes:
- Over-hiring during pandemic boom
- Revenue growth slowing
- Investor pressure for profitability
- Economic uncertainty
impact:
- Talent surplus for first time in years
- Compensation normalization
- Questions about tech career stability
- Focus on sustainable operations
ChatGPT Changes Everything
chatgpt_impact:
technical:
- Large language models went mainstream
- Conversational AI became real
- Code generation improved dramatically
- Natural language interface for everything
industry:
- Every company now has "AI strategy"
- Startup landscape transformed overnight
- Productivity tools reimagined
- Questions about job displacement
developer_impact:
- New tools for coding assistance
- Documentation and explanation
- Learning acceleration
- Need for verification skills
Technology Themes
Platform Engineering Matured
platform_engineering:
growth:
- DevOps evolved to platform teams
- Internal developer platforms
- Developer experience focus
- Self-service infrastructure
key_developments:
- Backstage adoption accelerated
- GitOps became standard
- Platform as a product mindset
- Measuring developer productivity
why_it_mattered:
- Cognitive load reduction
- Consistent best practices
- Faster developer onboarding
- Scalable operations
Security Continued to Matter
security_2022:
incidents:
- Okta breach
- Uber breach
- LastPass breach
- Many ransomware attacks
evolution:
- Zero trust adoption
- Supply chain security focus
- Identity-first security
- Security in development workflow
lessons:
- Third-party risk is real
- MFA isn't enough
- Assume breach mentality
- Security is everyone's job
Cost Optimization Became Priority
cost_focus:
drivers:
- Economic uncertainty
- Investor pressure
- Cloud bill shock
- Efficiency mandates
responses:
- FinOps practices adoption
- Right-sizing initiatives
- Reserved capacity commitment
- Architecture optimization
outcome:
- More sustainable infrastructure
- Better resource utilization
- Cost accountability
- Architecture decisions include cost
What I Learned
Personal Reflections
lessons_learned:
fundamentals_matter:
observation: Hype fades, basics remain
application: Focus on core skills
result: Lasting value
cycles_exist:
observation: Tech isn't immune to economics
application: Prepare for downturns
result: Financial resilience
ai_is_real:
observation: Not hype this time
application: Learn to use it
result: Competitive advantage
teams_over_tools:
observation: Great teams adapt
application: Invest in people
result: Organizational resilience
Predictions Reviewed
Looking at what I thought would happen:
2022_predictions:
remote_work_permanence:
prediction: Hybrid becomes norm
result: Mostly correct
nuance: More return-to-office than expected
kubernetes_dominance:
prediction: K8s everywhere
result: Correct for new deployments
nuance: Complexity concerns valid
security_focus:
prediction: Zero trust adoption
result: Accelerating but slow
nuance: Implementation harder than expected
ai_integration:
prediction: More AI in tools
result: Exceeded expectations
nuance: ChatGPT was surprise
Looking to 2023
What I’m Watching
2023_watch_list:
ai_everywhere:
expectation: AI features in every product
concern: Quality and reliability
opportunity: Developer productivity
efficiency_era:
expectation: Continued focus on profitability
concern: Innovation slowdown
opportunity: Sustainable practices
platform_engineering:
expectation: Mainstream adoption
concern: Over-engineering
opportunity: Developer experience
remote_evolution:
expectation: Hybrid refinement
concern: Culture challenges
opportunity: Async excellence
My Priorities
personal_2023:
skills:
- Deepen AI/ML understanding
- Platform engineering expertise
- Cost optimization practices
- Leadership in uncertainty
content:
- More practical guides
- Real-world case studies
- Emerging technology analysis
- Career development
community:
- More engagement
- Knowledge sharing
- Mentorship
- Collaboration
Key Takeaways
For Leaders
- Efficiency is not just cost-cutting—it’s sustainable operations
- AI tools are real—help your team adopt them effectively
- Resilience beats optimization—build teams that adapt
- Communication matters more in uncertainty
For Engineers
- Fundamentals matter more than ever—don’t skip basics
- AI assistants are tools—learn to use them, verify their output
- Breadth helps in downturns—expand your skills
- Career resilience requires continuous learning
For Everyone
- 2022 was a reset, not an end
- Change creates opportunity
- Fundamentals always matter
- The best is yet to come
Final Thoughts
2022 reminded us that tech is part of the broader economy, not exempt from it. The era of growth-at-all-costs ended. AI became real in ways that will reshape our work. And we learned that resilience—personal, team, and organizational—matters as much as innovation.
2023 will be about finding the balance: leveraging AI without losing fundamentals, optimizing costs without sacrificing innovation, and building sustainable practices that work for the long term.
It’s going to be an interesting year.
Thanks for reading. Here’s to 2023.