The Last Software Engineer? is a Substack publication that describes itself as covering software engineering, AI, and education from people at Carnegie Mellon University. It's a personal blog-style newsletter, not a store or a service handling sensitive data, so the trust bar is different than for an e-commerce site.
From a technical standpoint, the site looks well set up. It uses HTTPS correctly, loads quickly, and is hosted on Cloudflare β all standard for a modern blog. The privacy policy and terms of service are provided through Substack, which is typical for platform-hosted content. The site has an about page and contact information, which is a good transparency sign for any publication.
Two things give pause. First, the site is very new β only about two weeks old β so there's no history to check. Second, the security scan flagged a mention of bitcoin as a payment method. This could simply be a note in an article about crypto payments, not something the site actively uses. But because bitcoin is irreversible, you should look closely before sending any money, especially if you're considering a paid subscription. The homepage text suggests subscriptions go through Substack's standard system, not bitcoin directly.
Overall, there's no reason to think thelastsoftwareengineer.substack.com is a scam. It feels like a genuine new blog from academics sharing their thoughts. If you're interested in the content, it's probably safe to read and engage, but hold off on any payment until you see more proof of the operation's stability β like a few months of consistent posting and reader interaction.