You're more qualified than most founders I know, not because of degrees or titles, but because you've been deep in the fire and came out with clarity. Burnout isn’t a flaw in your ability, it’s often the cost of high ownership in broken systems. Stepping away without notice sounds like survival, not weakness.
On your questions: I believe portfolios matter less than signal. A solid GitHub readme, a tiny demo with personality, or even a clean writeup can open doors. Hiring today is noisy, clarity stands out more than size.
AI hype is mostly wrappers + vibes. But that's a feature. If you can ship small, real tools that feel smart, you’re ahead. Nobody’s expecting you to train models.
On staying engaged: what helped me was shipping for insight, not polish. Projects as questions, not proof. The goal isn’t “a finished app,” it’s “what did I just learn about what I love, hate, or want to do more of?”
You clearly still care about the craft, about growth. That’s the rarest signal of all.
Rooting for you.