The career advice in this weekend's reading comes from an unexpected source: a blind "phone phreak" from the 1960s who whistled his way into telephone history. Joe Engressia, who later renamed himself Joy Bubbles, learned to hack AT&T's phone switching network by ear, triggering long-distance calls with perfectly pitched whistles.
His story is the subject of the "Click Here" podcast, which caught the attention of Brian Hengesbaugh, Global Chair of Data and Cyber at Baker McKenzie. In a recent essay for the IAPP, Hengesbaugh argues that Young's path - finding the skills, building his own expertise, and creating community despite his limitations - offers a useful one for professionals worried about AI replacing them.
"He listened to his telephone in the way that a musician listens to music ... he started noticing things that even the phone company didn't notice," the podcast reports. Bubbles identified a flaw in the same line was used for both voice and signaling, which meant a local phone call called for the exact whistling sound could complete a long-distance call at no charge.
The lesson for IT and development professionals
For those who build and maintain systems part of the digital economy, the story of Joy bubbles is not just a curiosity. Hengesbaugh connects it directly to those fears about job loss. because the compliance risks and security with developments are only getting more complex, not less. "the legal and compliance issues and risks to the mix they face in their work are more complicated and high Stakes than ever," he says - "encouraging young professionals that this particular mix of conditions spells opportunity - not doom - and the secret is to find your superpower and capitalize on it."
IT and development professionals have a natural superpower: they understand how the systems and what to do with them. The fear of being swapped by a bot is common, but few bots can figure out exactly why that mission-critical system failed at 3 p.m. or why the database is corrupted. The difference between workers and bots isn't about who can write code - it's about who can tell the difference to the organization's actual business.
Practical steps for career durability
- Know your strength. Do an honest self-assessment. Are you good with people, technology, analytics, or processes? Pick a strength and double down.
- Get in the game. Experiment with different AI tools and platforms, for instance what works and what doesn't. "Don't trust, always verify," Hengesbaugh says, a key habit for anyone shipping code.
- Take time to reflect. Your personal experience is data too. "Don't assume someone else has it figured out and you'll just follow them," he advises. You may see a path others don't.
- Have some fun. As Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves pretty fast no matter how. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Hint. The next five to ten years in tech will be a chaotic ride; that's also the fun.
For those in IT development, the takeaway is about problem-solving, Joy's story shows that the person who truly understands the system in the details-the one who hears what others ignore-will always have value, no matter what tools appear. Want to deepen that skill? Building practical fluency with AI tools is a smart next step for AI for Software Developers.
Why this matters for IT and development
In this field, AI will change the work, but it won't end it. The ones most at risk are those who rely on rote tasks or wait to be told what to build. The mechanical ones are those who, like Joy, listen deeply to the system, spot the gaps, and turn obscure knowledge into something the organization values. Learn the mechanics of success, but start with the understanding that the real job is your own vision -- see the pattern and you'll find the opportunity.
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