March 20, 2026
DIY dreams vs SaaS screams
The bespoke software revolution? I'm not buying it
DIY apps hype meets eye-rolls: SaaS stays, margins sink, and AI could babysit your tools
TLDR: The piece says most people won’t build their own software, even with AI—they just want problems solved. Commenters split between a flood‑and‑retreat back to subscription tools with thinner profits and a bold vision where AI maintains custom apps, raising big questions for businesses about cost, control, and convenience.
The internet’s yelling match of the week: will AI turn everyone into a software builder, or will most people still just want someone else to dig the hole? The article shrugs at a “bespoke software revolution,” arguing regular folks don’t want to build or maintain their own tools, and the comments erupted.
The loudest chorus: “We’ve seen this movie.” christkv calls it dot‑com déjà vu—“spitting out new apps” everywhere, then a painful retreat back to subscriptions like SaaS… only with thinner profit margins. kemiller agrees: SaaS isn’t dead—it’s just getting sliced into niche slivers while one-size-fits-all tools sweat. But albertgoeswoof slams the brakes with “show me the receipts” energy: if margins are tanking, where are the price cuts? And if corporate tech teams get gutted to pay AI bills, won’t that make SaaS more essential, not less?
Then comes the drama: b0nk3rsnNuts zaps the thread with “SaaS dev says SaaS is the one true solution,” accusing bias. Meanwhile, Ancalagon floats a sci‑fi twist: a coming “saaspocalypse” where AI builds and maintains your custom tools, no human babysitting required. The memes wrote themselves—“Joe from logistics” doesn’t want a new app; he wants the paperwork gone. And everyone loved the analogy: most people want the hole, not the excavator.
Key Points
- •The article argues bespoke software is not new and often underperforms due to misaligned, client-driven design.
- •It claims enthusiasm for a bespoke software surge comes largely from software makers, amplified on platforms like X.
- •It states most professionals prefer outcomes (e.g., reduced paperwork, optimized routes) over adopting and maintaining custom systems.
- •The author expects broad AI use but limited bespoke system-building, mainly by users already inclined toward software.
- •It concludes that access to building tools doesn’t make everyone builders, using an excavator analogy to emphasize preference for outcomes without added responsibility.