The End of Software Engineering As We Know It

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The first computer programmers didn't write code like today's software engineers. They made punch cards.

Then we invented better abstractions. Now, we're witnessing another massive shift. I recently built a full-featured web application with 35,000 lines of code.

I wrote exactly zero of those lines myself. After the first 5,000 lines, I stopped even reading the code.

I'd prompt the AI, auto-accept, make coffee, and return to find new features built. This isn't some distant sci-fi future. It's happening right now.

A third to half of today's cutting-edge startups primarily write code this way. Two batches ago, that number was approximately zero.

People argue these AI tools will never be good enough for "real" code. But like all transformative technologies, they start as toys before rapidly improving.

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The current trajectory is clear: these tools are getting exponentially better every few months. Others point to Jevons paradox—as coding becomes cheaper, demand for software will increase.

They're right, but that demand won't be met by human engineers. Like the combine harvester revolutionized farming, AI will dramatically increase software output while reducing human involvement.

The future isn't just about existing software becoming easier to create. We're moving toward on-demand custom software—where you describe a problem to an AI, and it spins up a personalized solution that disappears when no longer needed.

This doesn't mean the end of human involvement. High-agency individuals with clear vision and obsessive attention to quality will gain superpowers. The best products always have a human who deeply cares about solving a specific problem behind them.

For founders, there's never been a better time to start something. You can build with smaller teams what would have required 40 engineers just years ago. One person or a small group can own a high-quality experience without organizational friction.

Beyond software, this revolution is spreading to law, medicine, finance—every knowledge field. The cost of expertise is plummeting, creating massive consumer surplus but also disrupting careers.

What should you do? Stay current with cutting-edge tools. Get good at identifying human problems worth solving.

And recognize that we're living through perhaps the most exciting time in history to build something from scratch. The middle is disappearing. The truly elite are thriving.

And everyone else is becoming a builder with AI superpowers.