I used to be pretty old-school about how software should be built.
I scoffed at the idea that something like AI was able to help me build software quickly, let alone high-quality software that was production-ready.
But things have definitely changed.
We’re now entering a new era where building software is kind of “easy”…there I said it.
What this means is that people are now able to create software companies in just a few days from the comfort of their bedrooms!
It means that building software has now been truly democratized to the extent that anyone with an idea can start building a prototype with very little coding experience, or even none at all.
After carefully considering what’s happening and what is going to happen, I truly think this is a good thing.
But…it’s also a warning to every founder and startup who is asleep at the wheel.
If you’re a startup building any type of SaaS, I can’t emphasize how important it is to build with speed.
There are probably many others out there who share the same ideas - competition is becoming more fierce.
If you’re not already accelerating, consider leveraging as many tools as possible to help in your product development i.e. Cursor, Claude, Replit, etc. (the ecosystem is growing…).
Build the product quickly, ship it, and iterate.
The hard part is now selling it, finding customers, getting it into the market, and building up your competitive advantage.
I’ve seen too many companies take their time and get squeezed out by others because they were not moving with a sense of urgency.
Silicon Valley has this trait of forcing people to be urgent - fast-paced, fiercely competitive, and creating a sense of FOMO.
For those outside, sometimes the culture and factors aren’t there to create a sense of moving quickly. If this isn’t the case - surround yourself with other driven founders, build with purpose, and seek community.
So build with urgency and with purpose. Iterate quickly and get the product out to as many customers as possible - distribution is key!
Build fast or die.