Built a $5K MRR app with AI, but still needed a developer

AI can speed up MVPs and routine coding, but real products still need human developers for bugs, deployment, legacy systems, and production fixes.

That shift is creating new demand for freelance debugging and cleanup work as founders run into real-world complexity.

The bigger concern is that fewer junior hires could weaken the pipeline that grows future senior developers.

Overall, AI looks more like a force that changes developer demand than one that fully replaces developers.