[iammrpayments]

“non-programmers can now build functional software by working with AI rather than writing code directly.”

I’m not sure about that, it may be true, but you can also build a ecom store without coding knowledge using wordpress and shopify but you still face a lot of limitations.

[Bocajmai]

We're not talking about building an ecom store, though, are we?

We're talking about building useful tools. Small things, that work in a way that makes sense to the individual.

Something that could be churned out in a day or two by a competent dev, but is completely out of reach for Joe public.

That's where we're at.

[mexicocitinluez]

> That's where we're at.

Tools to build web apps and web pages without coding knowledge have been around for over 2 decades. Microsoft Frontpage allowed uses to build a website using a WYSIWYG editor.

[sbarre]

Frontpage and other page builders had a much much lower bar for capabilities though..

Even Wix and Squarespace are "building block" tools when you start to layer functionality on top of the designs.. What you can do is limited by what the developers of those tools put in them.

AI lets people build much more bespoke things, and build things that others haven't necessarily thought of (or haven't built tools to build)..

And that can definitely be a double-edged sword of course, because a non-developer might not know when they're wading into dangerous waters...

[Joker_vD]

Non-programmers always could build functional software by hiring programmers, you know. And we all know how well that usually goes.

[Bocajmai]

That's very true. But programmers are extremely expensive. I don't think these tools or vibe coding replace expensive programmers, but they do make it possible to noodle where once it would have taken a potentially very risky commitment for a small business / solopreneur.

[econ]

We do? I thought we were clueless how long things will take.