Hi everyone,

I don’t have any background in software engineering, but I want to get into building real projects, especially using AI tools and AI agents to help build software and applications.
My goal isn’t to follow the traditional path of becoming a full-time “code-heavy” software engineer first. Instead, I want to:

Understand how software systems actually work
Be able to build real applications and projects from idea → product

Use AI agents and tools effectively to speed up development

Learn best practices (architecture, APIs, databases, etc.)

Be able to read and understand code rather than spend years memorizing syntax

I’m also trying to understand the direction of the field:

If AI is going to write most or even all of the code in the future, what does a software engineer actually need to focus on to still be considered highly skilled and valuable?

If I reach a point where I *never manually write code*, but I can design systems, guide AI, validate outputs, and build full products using AI tools — is that a real and respected role in software engineering, or am I misunderstanding how this works?

What I’m looking for:

A modern roadmap for someone starting from zero
What to learn first (concepts vs coding vs tools)
How to balance AI tools with foundational understanding

Honest feedback on whether this career direction is realistic

Recommended resources or learning paths
Basically, I want to think like a builder and product creator, not just a programmer stuck in syntax.

If you were a software engineer in the AI era and you *never had to write code manually again because AI writes it for you*, what would you focus on mastering to still be excellent at your job?

Thanks in advance.