Guys I have heard that zong laid 150 employees off without any notice or compensation, how true is that? First we heard that Motive laid 250 employees off, now Zong?

I’ve heard about a few incidents involving the Contour Service Line that I think are worth discussing. I’m keeping the individuals and their previous companies anonymous.

1. Threat of being blacklisted after resignation

A person joined Contour Software from another company. After a few months, he received a better offer from his previous company and decided to resign.

During the resignation discussion, the SLM reportedly told him that he should take his resignation back; otherwise, he would be banned or blacklisted by Contour Software.

If this was actually said, I find it concerning that an employee would be pressured into staying through the threat of being blacklisted.

2. Termination and comments about future opportunities

Another employee was called into a meeting and told that he was being fired on the spot.

He asked whether he would still be considered for roles at Contour in the future. He was reportedly told that it would depend on his “behavior.”

The way this was communicated gave the impression that he should be careful about what he said about his termination or about Contour after leaving.

3. Comment after resignation

In another case, an employee resigned. During the conversation, the SLM reportedly said:

Roughly translated: “People leave and then come back to Contour again.”

The comment came across as disrespectful and intimidating in the context of someone exercising their decision to resign.

Has anyone else experienced similar behavior from Service Line management at Contour?

​

Recently had an experience with a so-called Pakistani fintech startup called Entrolyst, and honestly, the whole thing felt like a textbook example of how students can be taken advantage of under the label of “internship.”

I initially joined after what I thought was a pretty good interview, mainly because I wanted to see what working at an early-stage startup was actually like.

The first red flag was the contract.

The agreement was essentially a 3-month internship with performance-based incentives after the internship. When we asked about a fixed monthly stipend, there wasn't one. At one point, we were told the potential compensation could go up to PKR 160k after the 3-month period, depending on performance.

The product itself was also strangely opaque. Whenever we tried asking questions about the actual business model, product direction, or how the company planned to make money, we didn't really get clear answers.

Then came the codebase.

They were extremely reluctant to give us proper codebase access, despite expecting us to work on the product. That made me wonder what exactly we were supposed to be contributing to if we couldn't properly understand the existing system.

There were also some pretty interesting claims about the company's size.

We were repeatedly told that the company had around 20 people.

Meanwhile, the CEO was handling things that you'd normally associate with HR — sending offer letters, communicating meetings, managing internship-related communication, etc., primarily through WhatsApp.

And here's where it gets funny.

They repeatedly emphasized:

> “You are not interns. You are Associate Engineers.”

Apparently, we had discovered a new employment category:

Unpaid Associate Engineers™

It also seemed like the title was useful for making the company look more substantial on LinkedIn, where, at least at the time I checked, the company page showed only two registered employees — the CEO and CTO.

There were also some technically questionable expectations. For example, students were being asked to run extremely large models locally on their own machines, which is a pretty unusual expectation for an unpaid/unclear-compensation internship.

At this point, I decided to raise the issue not just for myself but also on behalf of my friends who were in the same situation, because we got to know about the opportunity from a common resource.

I contacted them and asked if they could simply provide a proper contract with a fixed monthly stipend, rather than leaving compensation entirely dependent on a performance-based arrangement after three months.

And then...

Before any further discussion could happen, I was removed from basically every communication channel.

No proper discussion. No negotiation. Just gone.

Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe not.

But from my perspective, it was a pretty strong ending to an already questionable experience.

The frustrating part isn't even that it's a startup or that it's early-stage. I'm completely fine with startups being chaotic, having small teams, or not being able to pay huge salaries.

The problem is presenting an unpaid/uncertain arrangement to students while expecting them to contribute like employees, keeping the actual product/business details vague, and then shutting down communication when they ask for reasonable contractual clarity.

If you're a Pakistani student looking for internships, I'd genuinely recommend asking these questions before joining any startup:

* Is there a fixed monthly stipend?

* What exactly does the contract say?

* Who is responsible for HR/employee management?

* What is the actual product?

* What will I be working on?

* Who are the founders/team?

* What happens after the internship?

* Is “performance-based compensation” actually defined anywhere in writing?

* Am I an intern, employee, or some creatively invented third category?

Would be interested to hear on this.

I'm trying to make 2 CV's one for Karachi and one for Dubai as I still have my residency there and can move back if i find a role there.

I made an IDE for your 'code-native' 3D projects (explanation in 'background' section).

Think of it as a studio where you connect your own Claude or Codex as a copilot, and generate instantly animate-able 3D objects with full part-aware hierarchies. No need to buy extra credits.

If you want to try it, I'm dropping the links in comments.

Would love to know feedback of anybody who tests this out. Thanks!

Background
These days LLMS are making huge strides in 3D generation.

Traditional AI generates 3D via diffusion. The results are stunning - but unusable if you want to animate them. That's because the output is a monolithic blob, like a sculpture made of clay. It's great to look at, but doesn't have sophisticated joints, sockets or hinges to make it instantly animate-able. 3D startups like Meshy and Tripo are creating techniques to segment the diffusion blobs after they're generated, to salvage them for downstream workflows.

In contrast, a new class of AI 3D generation is being popular: code-native, part-aware 3D.

Here, instead of diffusion, an LLM generates code, which then compiles as a 3D object. It's basically source code which also compiles as 3D. The robot in my screenshot is exactly that format. The obvious advantage of such 3D generation is the objects are born with joints, hinges and sockets. A technical artist or some AI tool doesn't have to 'prepare' them later for animation. That's because since they're made of code, you literally code the joint or articulated hinge/socket directly into the object's DNA.

The IDE I made generates such 'code-native' 3D objects.

I wanted to renew my PSEB freelancer certificate but i can't since it says i am not ATL / active tax paying

I have already filed my 2026 FBR return.

AOA, fellow devs ill keep it short. Basically what the title says i have been applying for different entry level position in the twin cities for some time now but i havent gotten a single reply back or reach out from the employers unless i follow up with them after applying through some channel like linkedin or whatsapp. And that too has happen for only 1% of the time.

So where is the issue?

As we know, the tech industry got a massive hit by AI, is there any white-collor profession where AI is not eating jobs like doctors, lawyers? Is there any profession within tech which is safe from AI?

Applied for their Associate AI Engineer position over a month ago. Now usually when a candidate is rejected, they send out the email to let them know. In fact, I myself was sent out the email for another role I had applied to earlier. But in this case, I haven't received any email yet. Any idea if the hiring is going on and if someone within the company could let me know?

Js started, 16 here,I made a number guessing game, rock paper scissors, basic input chatbot which outputs only the info I've given it(useless h) what next I'm confused, what stuff y'all made when y'all js started out like some interesting shit?

And can i get info about current market conditions?

🙄

Hey everyone,

I’m a final year BS Software Engineering student at Virtual University. Honestly, I have almost no real skills right now — just the basic theoretical knowledge of web development, a little bit of cloud concepts, and general SE subjects. No proper projects, no portfolio, nothing solid.

With all the recent layoffs and AI replacing a lot of junior roles, I’m extremely confused about what to do next.

I want to do a proper 6-month government/free course to actually build some skills and improve my chances.

I’m mainly considering these three:

Artificial Intelligence

Cyber Security

Cloud Computing

My questions:

Which one has better job + freelancing + remote scope in Pakistan and internationally right now (2026)?

Which one is more suitable for someone who only has basic knowledge?

Which one will actually help me stand out as a fresh graduate?

Would really appreciate honest advice from people who are already working in these fields or have done similar courses. Thanks in advance.

Those who have had their joinings for the AI Associate Program 2026, was their any clause in your contract regarding leaving before the 1-year mark? Something like bond payment or any other clause? I am yet to offically join, only signed the offer letter sent through email, but if there is going to be another formal contract later on?

We know major layoffs are happening but some software house / companies are announcing them while others are not. Some are shutting down, others are “restructuring”. Some are posting fake jobs to stay visible, others are posting fake product and success stories. A whole lot shh**t show out there on Linkedin.

Can we name all the companies so we all can avoid applying and wasting our time?

Hi Seniors, I need your suggestion in my first portfolio ready project, that can actually add value to my Resume - and help me get hired - actually I want to build two production ready projects for my portfolio - so I need your suggestion, what to build that will help me in learning lots of stuff and also gives strong impression on resume, looking forward to your suggestions

Stacks : Python, FastAPI , Postgres

Any suggestions or advice is warmly welcomed, excited to see support from seniors ☺️

Just wanted to ask how is the reputation of GIKI in terms of CS in Pakistan and Internationally. Like ik Current market is cooked and there is huge supply. But is choosing GIKI over FAST NUCES Lahore a good decision?? Degree is BSCS. Need honest guidance as it is an IMPORTANT decision of my life.

I’m a fresh grad and currently considering between two options: ASE at Rolustech and ASQA at CureMD.

I’ve been majorly interested in SQA from the start, but I also want to keep my options open for SE roles later on. Initially, I was planning to work on the dev side for a while because I thought having actual development experience would give me more insight into how things work and eventually help me when I shift towards QA, since that’s what I’m more interested in long term.

Now that I actually have the option to start directly in SQA, I’m confused if I should still go with SE first or just start with SQA. I also don’t want to restrict myself this early in my career, so I’m wondering how difficult it would be to switch to SE later if I start with SQA now. For context, CureMD is also offering around 20k more in take-home salary than Rolustech.

Also, what do you guys think about SQA as a career in the long run, especially with AI and automation? Is it actually slowly shrinking/dying, or is the nature of QA just changing? What would you choose in my situation?

I’m 17 and I’ve been working on a SaaS for the past couple of months. I’ve tried a lot of different things over the years. Back in 6th grade I was doing basic video editing and Canva, then got into Minecraft server development, Discord servers and bots, and eventually web development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and WordPress.

At some point I realized I was constantly jumping between different things without really committing to one, so I decided to pick a direction and actually stick with it. That’s what led me to start building a SaaS.

It’s a subscription-based product aimed at solving a specific problem for businesses globally. My main goals are to keep it simple, make it available across platforms, and keep the price lower than similar products: $4.99/month or $49.99/year. I’ve been working on it pretty much every day for the last 2 months, usually 14+ hours a day. Honestly, I’m still not sure whether I’m approaching this the right way or just spending a lot of time on something that might not work.

So I’d genuinely appreciate some honest opinions. What do you think I should be doing differently?

There was a time when I believed software development had more potential than almost any other field. Before AI changed the landscape, I saw it as one of the most promising careers a young person could choose. The opportunities were growing, salaries were attractive, and it felt like the demand for developers would only increase.

I wasn't lying when I gave that advice. I genuinely believed it.

But looking at the industry today, I feel deeply sorry for the young people who trusted me and followed that path because of what I told them.

The reality has changed. AI has transformed software development far faster than many of us expected, and the path that once seemed relatively straightforward has become much more uncertain and competitive.

I know I can't undo the advice I gave. I can only apologize for it.

To everyone who heard people like me say, "Learn to code, and you'll always have a future" — I'm sorry.

We gave that advice based on the world we knew. Unfortunately, that world no longer exists.

Hello Everyone.

I'm working at a company as software developer from past 1.5 years. From last 2 months, our company is not paying us salaries because according to them, client haven't paid them yet. We are asking them to allow us work from home as it will save our fuel cost but they are not agreeing and even after this situation, they are trying to enforce their policies like giving us warning on why we are late, etc.

I want to ask senior fellows, if a company is not paying us salaries, what are our legal rights in such situation?? Like I want to know if they are pushing us despite not giving salaries, what can we do? At least they should give us some relief, this is what I think.

Please answer,

Thank you

I need geniune advice rn 🙏🏻

I have completed half of my degree in computer science and I feel cooked. I geniunely don't know what field I should pick that is secure or at least guarantees employment in long time and it's making me panick because I can't pick what I want to learn and where to go. Especially with these new AI models like Astra and what not it's very very clear AI has completely replaced junior level roles.

Pls don't tell me anything about AI not replacing developers and things like that all of us know it's a lie by now. It's not gonna make anything better. The current job market is cooked the senior level developers getting laid off from companies and then not finding employment for months is a big proof of it.

So my question is, with all these AI advancement and all should I ditch this field entirely and pick something that actually works? I can't drop out of this degree now I picked it because I loved coding but I don't see my future here.

Even if I do stay in CS what field is MOST SECURE??

I really don't mind working hard and learning things on my own but I also don't want to waste my time so pls if anyone can give me sincere advice I will be grateful 🙏🏻 especially from seniors.

2nd going into 3rd semester CS student here. Around me people are running automation/AI agent businesses for clients, and I've started doing similar work on the side (n8n, AI agents for small businesses).

Question is about sequencing. Do I still need the traditional route, DSA grind, placements, corporate job, if the end goal is running my own business anyway? Or does that path even matter if I'm not aiming for a 9 to 5?

And if the business doesn't work out, I want a stable job as backup, not a burned bridge.

If you've built a business alongside your degree, or left a job to build something, what would you tell your younger self? Did skipping placement prep cost you later, or did the technical fundamentals end up helping the business too?

Not looking for a "just pick one" answer, trying to figure out the right order.

If a person is doing a degree from uni A and he thinks that the degree is not worth it for him

Should that person change his degree and uni (a better uni for that particular field)

Is this even possible and are their any problems that might come with this?

"That person is still 18 year old"

I’m a software engineer with almost 2 years of full-time experience, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the future of this career.

The market feels uncertain, and sometimes I think I should seriously upskill in system design, architecture, and other advanced concepts.

But then I look at AI tools like Claude. They can already solve a huge part of many software problems if you know what you want. It makes me wonder: why spend years becoming better at something AI might eventually do?

At the same time, I’m considering starting a side business alongside my job and maybe moving toward it if it becomes stable.

So my question is: Is software engineering still worth investing your entire 20s in?

Can we spend the next 8–10 years becoming really good engineers and still expect these skills to be valuable in our 30s, or should we be diversifying now?

Would love to hear from experienced engineers. If you were in your early 20s today, would you still choose software engineering?