Software engineers are facing an 'identity crisis bordering on depression,' Menlo Ventures partner says
(www.businessinsider.com)
x-¹
Where I come from, that's read as "x to the [power of] minus one". "x minus one" is, well, x - 1. Not the same thing at all.
(I admit, my chances of deciphering what you meant might not have been all that high even if you'd used the correct phrasing, but without it, the chance was zero.)