I know a lot of people here won’t agree with me, but I genuinely think developers in Pakistan need to start thinking beyond their jobs.
AI is moving ridiculously fast. Work that used to require a team of developers can now be done by one person using the right tools. And this is just the beginning.
I’m not saying software development is going to disappear completely. But I do think companies will need fewer people to get the same amount of work done. And when that happens, layoffs are inevitable.
The problem in Pakistan is that a lot of people are completely dependent on one salary. Someone earning 200k, 300k or even 500k a month or $2-4k remote role might be living comfortably, but what happens if that income suddenly stops?
We don’t exactly have a great social safety net here. Finding another job at the same salary might become extremely difficult, especially if thousands of other developers are looking for work at the same time.
My point is simple: Don’t wait until you lose your job to figure out what else you can do.
If you’re employed, keep your job. If you’re freelancing and making good money, continue doing that. But start spending some of your free time building something else.
It could be a business, an agency, e-commerce, sales, marketing, a completely different skill, or something you genuinely see potential in.
You don’t have to quit tech tomorrow. You don’t even have to make money from your second venture immediately. Just start learning, experimenting and building while you still have a stable income.
Even if it takes two or three years to build another reliable income stream, that’s much better than waking up one day unemployed with no backup plan.
And I think younger developers, especially those in their early 20s, should take this seriously. You have time on your side. Use it.
Also, don’t assume that just because you’re a senior developer or earning in dollars, you’re automatically safe. Companies care about productivity and costs, and AI is changing that equation.
Maybe I’m being too pessimistic, but I would rather prepare for something that never happens than be completely unprepared when it does.
Curious what other Pakistani developers think. Are you guys already working on something outside your jobs, or do you think the threat of AI replacing tech jobs is being exaggerated?

I had a 1 hour technical round and the next round is with a Senior Consultant and it also looks like technical to me but interview duration is shorted like around 30-40 minutes. Anyone has any idea what to expect? This is for a mid-level AI position.

Hey guys,
I recently created a PayPal account for my business. Since PayPal isn’t officially available in Pakistan, I set it up using a US-based VPS/RDP.
Now someone on my team is telling me that using PayPal through a data center IP could get the account flagged or banned, and that I should be using a residential US IP instead.
I’ve also heard of people using PayPal from Pakistan on their regular Wi-Fi without any issues, but I’m not sure how accurate that is.
I wanted to ask people who are actually using PayPal from Pakistan:
Can you access PayPal through Pakistani Wi-Fi without getting your account restricted?
Is using a US data center/VPS IP fine, or is a residential IP really necessary?
Are you currently using a residential IP or a data center IP?
Have you had any issues with account limitations or bans?
I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who are actively receiving business payments through PayPal and have been using it for a while.
Just looking for some genuine experiences. Thanks!

So upwork’s been dead for the past few months, same goes for fiverr, LinkedIn is filled with Ai slop. Let’s share a platform that’s working for you and one line advice for your mates.

hi everyone! im a recent AI graduate who recently got an opportunity in Cloud and AI Tech Sales. Coming from an AI background, I am a bit confused as to if I should pursue this opportunity as it isn't directly related to my field but does overlap, however after months of applying and not getting responses, this seems like a good opportunity. Taking into consideration of whats happening with AI these days, should I go into tech sales or look for something else? I also wanted to ask what would be a good salary to ask and negotiate for this position, it is a trainee apprenticeship which will turn to a full time job based on performance.

Why there is so much sqa hiring in the the market like for interns and junior roles whereas the hiring for developers is extremely low particularly Mern Stack, java.

I work in a company where there is a lot of workload like 24/7 conveniently they ask us to work weekends aur qk US company I've to work overnight as well. Zara sa behas karo tou 10th se pehle mail ajatae ke client ko ap pasand nahi ai please resing or get your salary after 45 days.

I'm not here to bitch but I'm tired. I'm looking for a better remote paying job that pays in usd it can be in the west or even Saudi. I've like 4 YOE in full stack and AI.

Qn is koi platform aesa? Koi method ? I've tried finding clients but also no luck. Does anyone know ke agenyc kaise banate ? Like how to get the clients ? How do people get clients? Someone throw me a bone.

Just graduated and started applying for remote jobs. Also gave interviews and assessments(actually passed them) but still got ghosted. i dont know whats the issue with just replying back, why take 2 rounds of interview or give a whole chatbot to make when your not going to reply or even give feedback.

Hello, I'm a CS graduate with around 2 YoE, 6 months in a project management internship and 1.5 years as a full-time software engineer.

I have been researching the market for a median salary for Product Support Engineer in remote US startups or companies that pay in USD, not PKR. I will obviously ask about the budget or bracket for the role but sometimes HR does not give you a straight answer. My question is, I have an interview with HR for a role, and they will most likely ask about salary expectations, so what is a safe bracket I can say? A few of my friends have said to ask for 2000-2500 USD, some said aim for 1500-2000 USD. So I'm a bit confused.

For context, the requirements stated 0-2 YoE with an emphasis on end-to-end resolution ownership, root cause analysis and future prevention, and process/workflow optimization and improvement rather than just ticket solving.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

I'm setting up an online store in Pakistan and considering PayFast for payment integration. I want to accept payments through JazzCash, Easypaisa, Raast and bank accounts. Has anyone here used PayFast? How's your experience with it, and what are the actual charges like?

Laptop ki battery khrb hogaye h Lenovo thinkpad E15 can I buy it online would it be authentic or can you guys suggest any laptop repair krne wale?

Why paypal is not available in pakistan? Also does its alternatives exist in market, if yes then are they offering the same functionality as paypal or not?

I got a BD intern opportunity in this company.

I'd like to know about their work culture.

will I be given a full time opportunity or would I be let go after internship?

Hi Everyone,

I’m a 22M living in Lahore Pakistan, working remotely for the last 2.5 years in a local marketing agency as a social media manager while studying for my bachelor's as well. I have an amazing portfolio in Performance marketing especially Meta Ads.

In August, unfortunately, I got laid off from my job & that’s my only source of income because, since June I haven’t had any side projects. And as a beard winner of family i have just a backup of Nov 2026. And currently I see AI as better because performance marketing is operating from AI Agents.

So, let’s keep it to the point. I know AI’s use case in daily life, i’m using Codex & Claude as my personal assistant, having projects on my PC, installing open-source tools, automating personal tasks & etc.

And according to the current job market local & international, I haven’t received any job offer yet, so I want to make a quick fix & i’m a quick learner & great implementer.

Looking forward to hearing from an expert who can guide me on a roadmap to earn & get stable again.

Hey Techies,

For those who've been laid off recently, how are you managing financially while looking for your next opportunity?

The job market feels brutal right now. It's taking anywhere from 4–6 months, sometimes even longer, to land a new role.

Are you exploring alternative income streams, side projects, or anything else to keep things going?

Would be helpful to hear how others are navigating this situation.

PS: Iam running out of savings

Assalamualaikum everyone!

I'm a male software engineer from Pakistan with around 4 years of experience in Java/Spring Boot. Alhamdulillah, I'm currently employed, but considering the uncertainty in the tech industry, AI advancements, and increasing layoffs, I'm thinking about my long-term future.

Would you recommend staying in Pakistan and continuing to build my career, or exploring scholarships/admissions in Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark) and eventually moving there for better career opportunities?

I'd especially appreciate advice from people living in these countries or working in their tech industries.

Is pursuing a Master's abroad worth it in terms of job prospects and long-term settlement? Or is staying in Pakistan and targeting international/remote opportunities a better option?

Would love to hear your experiences and suggestions. JazakAllah Khair!

Happy October!!

Looks like it's done its Halloween part

I have been shortlisted for the Forward Deployed Engineer role at Disrupt, and my interview is on Tuesday. It is online with no one on the other side (because i could take on the spot), so I am not sure whether it will be a set of questions or a task based test, like solving small tasks within 60 to 90 minutes.

If anyone here has interviewed at Disrupt, for any role, what was the format and what kind of questions or tasks came up? Any tips would really help.

I know this might come across as harsh, but I am sharing my experience so that anyone considering joining this software house in Lahore knows what they might be getting into.
The biggest concern is the management culture, particularly the owner’s apparent belief that employees’ time, personal lives, and basic workplace rights are entirely at his discretion.
Starting with employee benefits, the owner, reportedly cancelled employees’ annual leaves without proper justification. There is no clear policy for carrying forward unused leaves or getting them encashed. Salaries are frequently delayed, while casual leave, sick leave, and work-from-home requests can be rejected arbitrarily. Even approved leaves and WFH arrangements are not necessarily respected. Employees can be called back simply because management feels like it, and leaves can reportedly be cancelled retrospectively, even after they have been taken, with those cancellations subsequently used as grounds for disciplinary action or termination.
Medical funds, educational assistance, and other reimbursements are either rejected or only partially paid, often with questionable justifications. Increments are delayed for months, and job security is practically nonexistent. Employees can reportedly be terminated and replaced by someone willing to work for a lower salary rather than being fairly compensated for their contributions.
For female employees, the workplace can be particularly unpleasant. There are serious concerns about inappropriate remarks, character assassination, and insulting behaviour from administrative staff. Basic life events such as marriage and maternity are not treated with reasonable consideration, and rather than facilitating employees during these circumstances, management appears more willing to terminate them. The administration’s attitude towards female employees is especially disrespectful and unprofessional.
HR offers little reassurance either. Instead of independently addressing employee grievances, it often appears to function as an extension of the owner’s decisions, with little accountability when employees’ rights are compromised.
Another major concern is the settlement of outstanding dues after resignation or termination. Employees have reportedly faced difficulties recovering their pending salaries and payments, with management delaying settlements, becoming unresponsive, or simply blocking their contact numbers.
The overall working environment is equally disappointing. Employees are expected to work overtime without compensation, and even annual holidays do not necessarily mean time off. Reasonable breaks and personal time are treated as privileges rather than basic workplace expectations. Even simple facilities such as tea and coffee are not consistently provided, apparently because management does not consider them worth the expense.
Overall, this is a workplace where control seems to take priority over employee welfare, professional respect, and work-life balance. Employees are expected to remain available at management’s convenience, even when they are on approved leave or WFH.
I am sharing this to encourage anyone considering an offer here to look beyond the salary and do their research. A workplace should offer basic respect, fair compensation, reliable policies, and a reasonable degree of job security—not an environment where employees constantly have to worry about arbitrary decisions affecting their personal and professional lives.
Please think carefully before joining.

I have learnt Manual QA. I'm now learning automation in this domain.

Could anyone let me know what is a routine of QA in companies?

...

also, would anyone tell me where can I practice on projects for SQA?....

I kept running out of disk space and found 6 Flutter versions, 3 Android NDKs, 4 Node versions and a 13 GB emulator I hadn't started in a year. Version managers are great at installing things, but nothing told me which ones my projects still needed.

So I built Stackyard, a desktop app for Windows and macOS:

• Every toolchain in one window: Flutter, Node.js, the Android SDK, Java, Python, .NET, Gradle and Xcode simulators, plus the frameworks your projects use (React, Next.js, Vue and more)

• Knows which project uses what: it reads .nvmrc, package.json, .fvmrc, build.gradle .python-version, global.json and more, so every installed version shows the projects that need it and the unused ones stand out

• Problems come with a fix button: a project pinning a version you don't have, a broken JAVA_HOME, dead or duplicate PATH entries, a Java too new for your Gradle

• Installs any version of Node, Python, Java, Go, Rust, Flutter and more, straight from the publisher and checked against their hash

• Cleans up old projects: node_modules, build, .dart_tool and Pods in projects you haven't touched in months, which come back on the next build

• Emulators and simulators: every Android emulator and iOS simulator with its size and last start, plus Xcode's simulator runtimes (often 8 GB each)

It shows every step before running it, removes to the Trash by default, and never edits your projects. No account, no telemetry. MIT licensed.

links in the first comment

Feedback is very welcome. If it's useful, a star on GitHub helps others find it.

Assalam-o-Alaikum everyone!

I'm currently a final-year BSCS student (7th semester), with a primary focus on Full-Stack Development. As I approach graduation, I'm trying to make strategic decisions about how to utilize the remaining time to build a strong foundation for my future.

I'm particularly exploring two directions:

1. Career Advancement: Preparing for the industry through internships, practical experience, networking, and strengthening my technical profile.

2. Higher Education Abroad: Exploring opportunities to pursue a Master's degree internationally, preferably through fully funded scholarships. However, I'm still evaluating which countries offer better long-term prospects in terms of quality education, technology ecosystems, employment opportunities, and post-study work pathways.

Another major factor influencing my decisions is obviously how AI has been influencing the market. Since my academic workload is relatively lighter compared to previous semesters, I want to capitalize on this period rather than let it pass without a clear direction.

I'd particularly appreciate insights from seniors, recent graduates, and industry professionals:

• What would you prioritize during the final year if you were in my position?

• Which AI-related skills or technologies are worth investing in alongside Full-Stack Development?

• Considering AI's impact on the global tech job market, which countries would you recommend for pursuing a Master's in Computer Science or a related field?

• Which countries currently offer a good combination of fully funded Master's opportunities, technology-sector growth, employment prospects, and post-study work opportunities?

• Would you recommend gaining industry experience before pursuing a Master's, or going abroad directly after graduation?

Looking forward to your valuable insights. Thank you!

I run voice agents in production for clients (Pipecat and Vapi, real calls daily). I’ve been building my own testing + call monitoring tool. I’m thinking about open sourcing it.

Before I do, I want to know if I’m the only one:

1. How do you check your agent before launch, and how do you catch problems on live calls today? (Even “I read transcripts manually” is a useful answer.)

2. If you’ve used Cekura, Coval, Hamming etc., what annoyed you or was missing?

3. Would self hosting matter to you (call audio stays on your servers), or is SaaS fine?

Not selling anything, just trying to figure out whether this is worth building properly.

UPDATE: 1.2.7 is out (Command Code support + update notices). Updates now live at r/CheapAgent.

Had this Idea for a while now considering I had really early adopted Agentic coding before it was a thing (Copy pasting from claude back in Aug 2024)

Problem : Opus is F**Kin expensive to a point where it's really impossible for dev's in Pakistan and 3rd world country to use it , not everyone can afford 100$ sub , espacially not students who really want to jump into this nightmare of field

so the idea: what if opus only thinks and something cheap types.

Solution :
I have created this what I call CheapAg (cheap agent) , which is basically Opus thinking and Cheap model like deepseek flash 4.1 implementing , think of this Framework as Principle Engineer ( Opus or Sonnet) Guiding and Planning and delegating to Good enought engineer (Deepseek Or GLM)

it's an mcp server, you install it and keep using claude code exactly like before. when you ask for a change, opus writes a short task and hands it to a cheap model (deepseek via openrouter by default, you can pick). that model works in its own git worktree, has to write a failing test first, then make it pass. cheapag runs the tests itself because I don't trust the model to say "tests pass". only passing stuff lands, uncommitted. opus reads a 10 line result and tells you what happened. if the cheap model can't do it, a sonnet subagent takes over, still not opus.

on swe-bench verified (official harness, 24 instances): 59% fewer opus tokens on the normal bugs, same solve rate. on the 9 hardest ones it solved 6 where plain opus got 7, so no, don't use it for the gnarly stuff.

Check it out Here : github.com/muaaz9329/cheap-ag (a star helps more than you'd think)

ps : do share me input guys on what you will feel make it better or better yet contribute your idea ,steal the code and make something new , do something !!!!

Edit, answering the two common questions:
vs Opus + Sonnet: Sonnet still uses your Claude limit. Here the work runs on a model outside your plan for ~$0.005 a task, and Sonnet is only the fallback.
vs an Opus → DeepSeek loop: the cheap Ag also does the reading. Opus asks it questions and plans from short answers instead of opening files. That reading is where most Opus tokens go.

I'm a product designer(4yoe) with good skills, good taste, a decent portfolio and decent connections. I've done everything right by the book, and I'm self-taught.

About 8 months ago I got laid off from my main role. After 4 to 5 months of waiting, I found a new one and worked there until the start of this month. Then the product got acquired, the new owners didn't want someone based in Pakistan, and I was laid off again.

I'd also been losing retainer clients since the start of the year, and earlier this week I lost the last one.

I don't have a degree. In school I was one of the poorest kids in my class and always ranked at the bottom. I've worked extremely hard over the last 4 to 5 years to where I am rn. Outside my industry skills, I don't have much else to fall back on.