Greg Isenberg is a multi-exit Silicon Valley entrepreneur and owner of Late Checkout product studio. He has:
- Headed Product Strategy at WeWork
- Been an advisor to Reddit
- Founded a startup, Islands, which was sold to WeWork
- Founded 5by, which was sold to StumbleUpon
Guest Author: Greg Isenberg
This is what I think happens over the next 5 years in software (how I think a new AI gold rush plays out):
AI is getting so advanced that anyone with a good idea can create beautiful software.
We’re talking about SaaS tools, marketplaces, social apps so stunning that Steven Paul Jobs himself would stop and smile.
There will be plenty of bootstrapped founders building software in their bedrooms or home offices.
Imagine you find a niche, build some unique software. Things take off, and before you know it, you’re raking in $1M run rate, maybe even $10M run rate.
Sounds great, right?
But here’s the catch… the faster you rise, the quicker you might fall.
Imagine this… a teenager in Illinois, just playing around, clones your app.
Suddenly, checking your Stripe account feels like opening a letter from the IRS. Not so fun anymore.
This era, my friends, is going to create a lot of wealth. But it’s going to be a rollercoaster. Lots of these businesses won’t last. The average software business will last months not years.
Software is becoming like grains of sand on a beach – plentiful and, sadly, undervalued.
It’s a downward race on price. Today’s victory can be tomorrow’s loss.
But here’s the type of software that will survive 5+ years as cash-flowing machines:
1. Platform discoverability
Being visible on places like GPT Store or Shopify is like having a neon sign for your product.
The apps that have real estate here will outperform clones.
2. Real community
This is the heart of your product. You can clone features, but you can’t clone a community.
3. Organic reach
Good old boring techniques like SEO. It’s not dead, despite what people say. (this is a free course on how to 10x you organic via AI-assisted SEO here https://lnkd.in/edW6fYUT)
So, to wrap up my thoughts…
1. AI 10000x the amount of software out there. If you send a text message, you’ll be able to create software.
2. In the commoditized world of software, marketing isn’t just king – it’s the entire kingdom.
That’s the landscape for the next half-decade.
Strap in, 2024 and beyond is going to be a wild ride.
I’ve got a post I’m writing with more of my predictions. Sign up to my newsletter, so you don’t miss it https://lnkd.in/e4TA7qqY
Enjoy!
