> I don't think we know yet what is going to happen as software development gets much cheaper. If in ten years we can produce software 1000x more cost effectively, will we need fewer software engineers, the same, or more? Guess we'll see!

Adding onto it, I feel as if this relates to some points regarding predictions of future in general. It is easier for us to look from the future to the past and think that it must be very obvious (as you also mention) but its also very counter-intuitive at the same time and there are just so so much nuance about basically any situation within it that its hard to really capture it all, and even then, be prepared for surprises and counter-intuitiveness.

I really like the Peter Drucker quote about it.

“The only thing we know about the future is that it will surprise us.” — Peter Drucker

and, “The future is fundamentally different from the past.” — Frank Knight, Risk, Uncertainty and Profit (1921)