We are entering the era of Selfware.
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Software engineering automation isn’t just speeding up the "how" we build; it’s destroying the "how" companies make money from us. The business model that dominated the last decade is being dismantled in front of our eyes.
I woke up today thinking about one thing: Is the golden age of SaaS finally coming to an end?
A few years back, the playbook was always the same. Whenever we faced a process gap, we would scout the market, sit through demos, and eventually sign a hefty SaaS subscription. It was the "default" move. But lately, I’ve been noticing a massive shift—both here at my company and within my professional circle.
Instead of looking for a vendor, we are becoming our own developers.
I recently built our own internal Design Process management platform. And I wasn't the only one; our HR and Backend teams did the same. We created tailored solutions "in-house" without needing a single third-party license or a recurring contract.
We are entering the era of Selfware.
I’ve been following discussions (including a recent piece by the Wall Street Journal) that describe exactly this phenomenon. With the rise of advanced AI tools like Claude Code, the technical barrier has crumbled. AI is now allowing us to generate custom systems on the fly instead of paying for rigid, one-size-fits-all licenses.
What does this mean for our industry?
The End of Dependency: Software is shifting from a luxury subscription to an accessible commodity.
Power Shift: Negotiating power is moving from Big Tech back to the consumer.
The SaaS Threat: Why stick to long-term, expensive contracts when you can spin up a local solution that perfectly fits your workflow?
Software engineering automation isn’t just speeding up the "how" we build; it’s destroying the "how" companies make money from us. The business model that dominated the last decade is being dismantled in front of our eyes.
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