Josh W. Comeau on AI Impact on Developer Course Sales

Main idea

Josh Comeau, creator of popular CSS and React courses, documents a structural decline in demand for developer educational content in 2026. He identifies two concurrent mechanisms: job market fears discourage skill investment, and LLMs offer personalized tutoring at no cost.

Context

Simon Willison cited Comeau on July 3, 2026. Comeau is speaking with other course creators who report similar trends. AI companies also face criticism for training models on creators content without consent or compensation.

Why it matters

This is one of the first well-documented cases of AI economic impact on knowledge workers beyond the narrow definition of software engineering. If the trend persists, it could affect the entire educational ecosystem around software development — bootcamps, platforms, and tech blogging.

Details and arguments

• Comeau new course: approximately 33% of typical sales volume
• Other course creators: more than 50% revenue decline
• Reason 1: job market fears — people invest less in new dev skills
• Reason 2: LLM tutoring — personalized learning without a paid course
• Creator frustration: LLMs train on their content without consent or compensation