Lenny RachitskyHost of Lenny's Podcast | Author of Lenny's Newsletter

The 4 types of tech workers in 2026

14 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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1:25

Lenny Rachitsky surveyed tech workers and found four types: 41% are energized and having fun, 35% are conflicted with career uncertainty, some feel disoriented as roles shift, and 12% are resentful, fearing job loss if they don't adopt AI. The workforce is splitting between excitement and anxiety.

Chapters

The first archetype we found is the energized tech worker. That's 41% of our sample. These are the people who were saying that product has become fun again. I feel like I'm in the tech amusement park where everything is open to me and I can experiment with new approaches. The second group we called the conflicted, the ambivalent middle. These are 35% of the sample. These are people who are having, on the one hand, the most fun they've ever ever had, and on the other hand, feeling the most uncertainty that they've ever felt in their careers. They just don't understand whether they're building the things that will ultimately lead to the end of their careers as they know it. Third archetype are the disoriented people, the people who feel like their role keeps shifting. And then finally, 12% of the sample we categorized as resentful. They're feeling pressured, they're feeling checked out. They are not enjoying their work right now. They're saying things like, I've been forced to use AI or lose my job. And even when I use AI, I'm still seeing people lose their jobs. I just hate it, which obviously none of us can ignore at this point.