How-to · 08 Sept 2026
The EU Blue Card: what it actually takes to qualifyGermany's 2026 EU Blue Card threshold is €45,934 for IT roles. Real numbers, real contract rules, and what a US-based developer actually needs to qualify.
Pillar
Career and business
The commercial side of being the whole team: contracts, rates, tax treatment across jurisdictions, and the decisions that quietly determine whether independent work is still sustainable in year three. Calm coverage of high-stakes situations, including account terminations, lost clients, and failed products, the kind usually written about only in retrospect and only when they ended well.
5 articles · updated 08 Sept 2026
Comparison · 23 Aug 2026
1099 vs W2 for developers: the real math on rate and tax1099 vs W2 guides are written for employers, not developers. Here's the actual math: self-employment tax, lost benefits, and realistic billable hours.
Strategic · 18 Aug 2026
Will AI replace software engineers? What hiring showsAI isn't replacing software engineers, but it's already changed what's worth screening for when you hire one. Here's what actually shifted, and why.
Data deepdive · 11 Aug 2026
Software engineer salary by market: what the data actually says for small-team ICsThe 'software engineer salary' number everyone quotes is a self-reported, Big-Tech-skewed average. Real BLS and Stack Overflow data, by market.
Strategic · 29 Jul 2026
Staff engineer vs senior engineer: the ceiling is about scope, not skillWhat actually separates a staff engineer from a senior one, why small companies make the jump harder to see, and what reliably moves people past the ceiling.