Many companies proudly claim ‘our teams decide’. But when autonomy comes without accountability, who owns the failures? A look at why this trendy management style often creates a new kind of dysfunction—and leaves managers in an impossible position.

A young developer asked what’s changed in 30 years of software development. The answer: everything and nothing. We’ve traded assembly for JavaScript, deep understanding for fast results, and writing everything ourselves for assembling things we barely understand. But has the trade been worth it?

Technical interviews have always felt artificial to me—puzzle-solving under pressure that reflects nothing about real work. After many interviews on both sides, I started wondering if there was a better way.

Being self-employed isn’t the freedom fantasy many imagine. After years of freelancing, I’ve learned the real magic isn’t actual freedom—it’s the powerful illusion of it. And surprisingly, that illusion might be worth more than the real thing.

There used to be a tribe of us — developers who lived and breathed code, sharing discoveries and debating ideas late into the night. The profession grew, the tribe scattered. We’re still out there. Just harder to find.