The (Near) Future of Building Software Is Cheaper, Faster, and (Yes) Better

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the cost of building and maintaining software. Right now, software development is a massive expense because it’s deeply tied to human labor. You need project managers, developers, designers — entire teams, often stretched thin and juggling multiple priorities. A lot of that overhead is baked into the price we pay for our tools. But I’m convinced a big shift is on the horizon, and here’s why.

First, let’s talk about how “levered to humans” software really is. Most modern enterprise software, like CRM or HR platforms, is essentially a series of business rules wrapped around a database with a slick UI on top. That’s it. Yet it takes dozens (sometimes hundreds) of engineers and consultants, plus countless hours, to build or customize. Because humans are the core resource, and they’re expensive, software costs balloon. And of course, once you factor in support, customizations, upgrades — well, we’re talking about a giant, ongoing bill.

But take a look at AI agents and what they’re starting to do. I use AI coding tools practically every day now. They’re powerful but still somewhat basic — “rudimentary,” I like to say. Yet I can see the potential forming right before my eyes. When I compare the speed at which these AI agents improve to how slowly traditional dev shops iterate, it’s clear that AI is on a breakneck trajectory toward truly sophisticated code-generation.

Imagine the day (and it’s coming sooner than many might think) when it’s trivial to say, “Hey AI, build me a Salesforce clone tailored to my company’s exact needs.” No more juggling 150 different underused features or paying per-seat license fees for people who just log in once a month. Instead, the AI spins up precisely what you need — no more, no less — while dramatically cutting the cost of development. It’s the classic trifecta of cheaper, better, and faster: you really might get all three.

One of the big myths floating around right now is that “expensive software is better software.” In reality, so much of the price tag is labor — just raw hours spent on requirements, QA, more QA, meetings, overhead, consultants, you name it. We’ve all heard that old line: “Pick two: cheap, fast, or good.” But with AI, you’re suddenly picking three. That’s a hard thing for expensive dev houses to compete with, especially when they’re stuck in that cycle of quoting six months and a million dollars for something that soon won’t even take six weeks and a tenth of the cost.

If you want a sneak peek of what the next few years might look like, just peek behind the scenes at any forward-thinking startup. Teams that once relied on large engineering rosters are can now run with a few skilled engineers with AI-based dev tools. They’re cutting out a bunch of the fat — reducing time and labor on routine tasks. And once you cut out that time, you cut the cost.

I’m not saying huge enterprise software is going to vanish overnight; some of these incumbents are massive and do offer valuable services. However, I believe we’ll see an aggressive trend of organizations shifting away from paying for big, one-size-fits-all platforms to spinning up “just-enough” clones with the help of AI. It will happen for the simple reason that it’s cheaper, faster, and still every bit as good — if not better, because it’s tailored precisely to your business needs.

My advice? Keep an eye on the AI coding ecosystem, because in a couple of years, the question you’ll be asking isn’t “Which software should I buy?” but “Why am I even paying for this off-the-shelf solution when I can spin up a perfect custom clone at a fraction of the cost?” I’m already heading that way myself — and so, I suspect, are you.

Want me to go deeper into this subject and potential solutions or have general feedback? Leave me a comment or clap and let me know. If I see enough interest, I’ll go deeper!

About Mike

Mike Onslow is a tech leader and co-host of the Artificial Antics podcast, where he explores the practical and transformative applications of AI. As a Director of Technology and Development, Mike has a passion for simplifying complex technology to create real-world solutions that empower businesses. Through his work, he bridges the gap between innovation and execution, helping organizations adopt AI to solve problems, streamline processes, and drive growth. Whether he’s building SaaS tools, sharing insights through his podcast, or mentoring teams, Mike is dedicated to making AI accessible and impactful for everyone.