You have to convince software engineers they are labor instead of temporarily embarrassed millionaires. Some do end up wealthy. Most won’t (so says the data [1] [2]).
Edit: In my experience, older folks are easier to sell on the idea because they’ve seen how the sausage is made and have had enough time to have possibility convert to reality. Younger folks are still…more optimistic than the data suggests is realistic.
[1] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/...