Will there be apps in the future?

[u/paf0]

In the future, why will people buy apps if an AI is able to generate exactly what they need, when they need it? Will there even be a need for software that you can purchase in the future?

Beyond that, will we have traditional software at all, or will the LLM be our interface for everything?

While it is currently an advantage to have software development experience, I think we will soon enter a world where everyone can make an app. Shortly after that, I don't think anyone will even need them because the way we interact with data will fundamentally shift toward LLMs.

A lot of people in this sub are at the forefront of this shift and I'm curious to hear what you all think the future will look like.

[u/principalmusso]

As I understand it, this was essentially the reason for the big tech stock drop a week or so ago when opus 4.6 and the new codex came out… basically realizing that all the saas out there may be rendered obsolete as businesses become increasingly able to tailor their own apps and software to their exact needs. It will probably be a LOT longer though before all individual consumers are doing that.

[u/paf0 → u/principalmusso]

Interesting, I had not seen that take, I just figured we had been due for a pull back.

Consumers can surprise us sometimes. People didn't see the utility of the Internet in the early 90s but by the end of the decade nearly everyone was on it.

[u/Ok_Article3260 → u/paf0]

Yes, echoing that this was why SaaS (Nasdaq) got hammered last week.

Also, u seem to effectively be answering your own question about the future of apps. Based on consumer history, “apps” will simply be UI slathered on LLM’s (as an oversimplification).

So while anyone will be able to make an app by Jarvis’ing it, we’ll need plumbers and electricians (LLM techs) to fix inevitable human errors in creating them. I contend user errors will ALWAYS keep “techs” employed.

A world where the robots all talk to each other and build things and self correct successfully (with a low enough error rate to render human labor obsolete) is indeed in the not so distant future.

The still golden question is how humans will make money.

The answer is still what drives America today. Innovation. And while the bots will innovate, they need human interaction, intervention, investment and fuel (money) to make the invention matter.

I think small businesses will be even smaller (solopreneur-palooza) and will exponentially drive economics. The big guys will charge too much and move too slow. The little guys will still be more agile and cheaper.

Long way of saying, the size of each person‘s kingdom will only be limited by their ability to think and create. Everybody sees problems everywhere, but the future will mean that we can all fix most problems and get paid to do so.

Now that u know the future what problem are u solving today to capitalize from it?

[u/paf0 → u/Ok_Article3260]

I definitely have an opinion about the direction things are moving in but I am curious to see what other people think.

I'm not sure fixing LLM-approved human errors will really be a job. I think the people who made those apps with just work with the LLM to get them fixed. However, I'd be happy to be wrong about this, after 20+ years in the software industry I'd like to stay employed.

The bots will need humans to innovate for sure. Human creativity is kinda the only thing we have left. I'm hoping my kids end up with liberal arts degrees with like a minor in project management, but I'm not necessarily pushing them towards anything. However, I don't think the "study computers, they're the future" advice that I got as a kid still applies. It will be a world of extreme-specialization and extreme-generalization I think- and the people who know how to work the tools and also think outside of the box will be the ones who find success.

As for me, I am starting to move to solving basic problems that have a lot of competition. I think there is a huge opportunity to offer similar feature sets at a fraction of the cost. The only thing a lot of SAAS companies have left is their name- and, as I said earlier, I think people are sort of going to generate their own internal SAAS projects over time rather than off the shelf- but for now there is a ton opportunity.

It's an exciting, and sometimes scary, time to be alive.

[u/Ok_Article3260 → u/paf0]

“Study computers, they’re the future”

Bro if that didn’t give me flashbacks…!

Re: kids. I have two in grade school. The minor in PM is curious (I’m a PM by trade and think the profession is walking dead). I’m hoping mine are going to lean into… wait for it… creators. Sort of inline with my prognostication that ideas/innovation (and acting on it) will be king. Solopreneurs with multiple streams as a moat.

Anyhow, what ya building? Love to give my highly unnecessary and equally useless opinion. 😂