The End of Micro SaaS? It's a Vibe
Like when I first learned about VBA and was able to automate my repetitive job answering helpdesk emails, something fascinating is about to happen in workplaces everywhere.
That marketing colleague who's always pestering IT? Soon they'll be building their own tools. Your finance teammate buried in Excel? They're on the verge of deploying their own custom dashboard. Even the intern is already replacing clunky spreadsheets with purpose-built apps created over a weekend.
We're approaching the era of the "accidental developer" - people who never planned to write code but will soon be creating software solutions thanks to AI. Right now, it's mostly tech-savvy early adopters experimenting with these capabilities, but the signs of what's coming are unmistakable.
What's vibe coding anyway?
If you've been following AI developments, you might have seen Andrej Karpathy's recent post about "vibe coding." It's a perfect term for what's happening in software development right now.
Traditional coding means writing precise instructions line by line, following rigid syntax rules and programming paradigms. Vibe coding flips this completely - you explain the problem you want to solve in natural language, and AI handles all the technical implementation details.
It's less about memorizing programming syntax and more about clearly articulating what you're trying to accomplish. A complete mood shift for software development. Hence, the "vibe."
The democratization is real
This shift reminds me of something I posted on LinkedIn a few months back:
AI is not replacing creativity - it's amplifying it. Like any tool, its power lies in how we wield it. The game changer? Accessibility. AI is breaking down barriers across all fields:
- create art without years of practice,
- code without being a developer,
- write a book without being an author.
That accessibility is the key. Suddenly anyone with domain knowledge and a clear idea can build something functional. The gatekeeping around technical skills is crumbling fast. And honestly? Having spent two decades in this industry, I think it's about time.
So what happens to professional devs?
Every time I bring this up with my developer friends, the conversation inevitably turns to job security. Is this threatening for professional developers? I don't think it's that simple.
I don't personally think the issue we should be paying attention to is that AI agents will cause job loss or push devs to change how they work. That's just called progress. People used to code in COBOL, now it's rare. 2GL → 3GL... I guess AI is 7GL? Developers have always adapted to productivity advancements.
Remember when we had to memorize API calls before IntelliSense came along? Or when we'd debug with print statements instead of interactive debuggers? Technology continuously makes certain skills obsolete while creating demand for new ones.
We've been here before. Just with fewer vibes.
But there's trouble in micro SaaS paradise
The real disruption might not be to developers themselves but instead to the small-to-medium SaaS ecosystem - something I've been immersed in for years.
Think about it: once anyone with motivation and $50 can push out a basic app that gets a specific task done, what happens to all those niche software-as-a-service products?
In the near future, the person trying to create a micro SaaS for generalized contact management will still be trying to find customers and plugging authentication holes, while "accidental developers" will be building custom in-house solutions that perfectly fit their specific needs.
Why pay monthly for a one-size-fits-most solution when you can have exactly what you want, built in-house for a one-time cost?
This is the part that keeps me up at night. This is what impacts the job market, this is what causes concern.
You can play this trend forward too: the receptionist builds an app, but this then pushes the business owner to also discover AI. They bring in a consultant who automates the whole process – including the receptionist's job.
Now the owner operates a lean, one-person business very efficiently... until GPTForFinance is released a month later, making their financial advice business obsolete too.
Where does it end? Maybe repairing robot lawn mowers? (until those get automated as well...)
It's turtles all the way down.
What does it all mean?
Having worked across many roles - from developer to solution architect to product strategist - I've seen how the line between "technical" and "non-technical" has always been somewhat artificial. Now that line is dissolving completely.
We're moving toward a spectrum where everyone uses AI tools to solve problems at varying levels of complexity. Similar to what I explored in my LinkedIn post about software engineers versus programmer analysts, we're seeing a return to a role that's less about writing code and more about analyzing problems, validating solutions, and focusing on the business objectives.
Traditional developers will shift focus to architecture, security, performance, and complex systems – areas where deep technical expertise still matters enormously.
Meanwhile, the most valuable skills might become those that have always been important but undervalued in technical contexts: clear communication, creative problem formulation, and deep domain expertise.
I think we're going to see a lot more people building useful things. And a lot fewer people paying monthly subscriptions for simple software.
The bottom line
The democratization of software development through AI is happening whether we like it or not. The question isn't if accidental developers will emerge, but how organizations will harness their potential while mitigating the risks.
For SaaS founders, this means rethinking your value proposition. What are you offering that generative AI can't help someone build themselves? That's your new north star. And for those working at a SaaS, make sure you're fully across AI and how it's changing the game. It may need to be your personal pivot!
It means adapting to a world where the ability to clearly articulate problems might matter more than the technical skills to solve them. Everything will be different! Think about how you complete work today - from contract negotiation, interviewing/hiring, project scoping, task management, and more.
For businesses, it means creating frameworks that enable innovation while maintaining some governance around what gets built and deployed.
The accidental developer has arrived. And they're bringing the vibes with them.
