The future of engineering: fewer people, more work, and the end of tokenmaxxing

The Sifted Summit annually gauges how the tech industry perceives the significance of engineering. Historically, a company's value has been closely tied to the technical talent it can attract, which often generated venture capital. A robust engineering team has served as a strong indicator for investors. However, as artificial intelligence tools have advanced, discussions have shifted towards more streamlined engineering teams.

Anisah Osman Britton, VP of startup ecosystem at Sifted, specializes in early-stage ventures. Follow her on LinkedIn. Europe's most dynamic startups are examined through her lens. Tech companies advise job seekers to be "AI-pilled," but not overly so. Many CVs and cover letters exhibit an overemphasis on AI. To curb this trend, startups are adopting strategies to filter out excessive AI talk.

Founders can be poor employees, as they resist management. The author has personally hired nine of them. During the Sifted Summit 2026, Andreas Klauser of Zoom addressed founders, investors, and startups on AI, revenue, and why growth stalls after a certain point.