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Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

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Re: Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

#91

Post by woah »

allsmiles wrote: post #17
freshfey wrote: post #6

"Within two weeks of its launch in late July, Gigster already had $1 million in sales booked." Can someone walk me through how this is possible? As in, what does a company like Gigster focus on to reach sales so quickly?

This isn't Roger Dickey's first time starting a business so that certainly helps. Estimating the cost of their service to be around $5k, to reach $1 million in sales would mean 200 apps shipped. That seems like a reasonable feat as long as he plays his cards right.

I don't think it even means apps delivered, started or even necessarily paid for. I'm guessing that a number of people who could optimistically be presumed to represent this amount of sales signed up.

Re: Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

#93

Post by codeshaman »

woah wrote: post #79
codeshaman wrote: post #8

I'm afraid this is a glimpse into the not so distant future where software developers are next in line after taxi and truck drivers - uncertain if their skills will be required in a decade from now. That is compound by the millions of youngsters who grew up with computers, have unlimited access to unlimited teaching materials and are entering the workforce each year.. The demand for software may be growing (although…

I'm guessing the "AI" is mostly just marketing bs. They're just trying a different consultancy model and have been given 10 mill.

I'm guessing too.. Still, there is undisputed progress being made in the field of rapid software development and dev tools and AI ... While not there yet, if the progress continues at the same pace, we will be there within a decade.

Re: Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

#94

Post by thewarrior »

mattmanser wrote: post #52
thewarrior wrote: post #19

Gigster + https://stamplay.com/ (Drag and Drop backends) + A front end automator is going to lead to the commoditization of the software developer.

We've done this before, RAD tools in the early 2000s and then a few years after that it was workflows. It doesn't work. One of the skills of being a programmer is to change a business workflow, which are often very vague and even very inefficient and open to interpretation, into a logical workflow. Business people just don't have that skill, so what happens is that you need a bunch of programmers to operate the RAD t…

Wow I was just waiting to ask someone who's seen this stuff about this.

I'm planning to create some tools ease CRUD workflows.

I think my point was not properly conveyed. The goal is not to get the pointy haired boss programming your expense report app. But instead of paying someone with 4 years of experience , you just use a team of people you trained in 3 - 4 months to do most of the screens using such tools .

Is that unrealistic ?

PS : Yup any code generator needs to have a lot of extensible points so you can change it.

Re: Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

#95

Post by saiprashanth93 »

cognivore wrote: post #35

People who want software built are usually (in my experience, almost always) incapable of describing what they want. But they know what they like or don't like when they see it, and then they get ideas for changes. Unless Gigster (really?) gets that part figured out all they'll be capable of creating is the next app that sits in the middle of the the app store charts that no one cares about.

The first two lines of this comment should be written down on every wall of every dev shop in the planet.

Re: Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

#96

Post by myspace »

marcosdumay wrote: post #46
kyllo wrote: post #27

Send Gigster your app idea and it sends you back that app. So you don't have to talk to developers and they know exactly what you want from your written description of your idea? What could possibly go wrong?

It also farms the code around a bunch of non-communicating developers. No, problems on the horizon, keep running towards that iceberg.

sounds like a bunch of other companies like Versata, DevFactory, gTeam, etc.

Re: Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

#97

Post by simonswords82 »

This type of progression in software development is inevitable. Groups of people writing individual lines of code for bespoke apps will one day go the same way looms in factories went after the industrial revolution.

I run a software company, and we've actually moved away from fixed price projects and only provide development on a day rate. Fixed price/scope/timescale projects are incredibly risky, require massive amounts of project management resource, and can be insanely unprofitable if the specifications for the work are not watertight and the client isn't managed well.

Knowing the industry very well, and having completed hundreds of bespoke projects for all sizes and types of clients I have so many questions about how the Gigster model works. Off the top of my head:

* What language are the apps built in? This is important to me if I want to hire my own people to continue to build out and support the app going forward. I presume the mobile apps are native, so this question is probably more specific to the web development.

* Do I own the intellectual property on the finished app? * What does the support and maintenance agreement look like and provide? And at what cost?

* What does the contract for development look like? The devil will be in the detail here. For example, I'd be interested to know what happens if my project overruns and deadlines are missed.

* What if I want something built that doesn't fit one of their various examples here https://gigster.com/pricing?

* Who writes the specification? Who creates the wireframes for the app?

* Who performs quality assurance testing? What happens if the work I receive is excessively buggy?

Bespoke development of software is hard and it's great to see somebody take this on. I wish Gigster luck but I fear for their sanity as they attempt to scale.

Re: Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

#98

Post by monort »

ssharp wrote: post #58
aidos wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More automation more of the time! The world needs to focus on how we collectively become more efficient while working less / relaxing more. Having said that, I think automation of software development has a long way to go before it's particularly effective. Though it's certainly going to be an interesting space to watch. It's somehow weird to imagine a future in which we disrupt ourselves.

> The world needs to focus on how we collectively become more efficient while working less / relaxing more. The world doesn't reward working less. More automation might lead to lower average work hours, but the reduction comes from people losing their jobs and not finding new ones. So, yes, you get to work less, but you almost might go bankrupt, lose your house and car, and be reliant on government welfare, if you're…

More automation means lower prices for everyone and less hours to work.

Re: Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

#99

Post by drtse4 »

kyllo wrote: post #27

Send Gigster your app idea and it sends you back that app. So you don't have to talk to developers and they know exactly what you want from your written description of your idea? What could possibly go wrong?

My guess is that they don't actually care. Just looking at the project examples it's clear that they target the "i want a facebook-like app for xk$" elance crowd, good luck with that, bright future ahead (until the not-so-bright people's money runs out).

Re: Software Eats Software Development as Andreessen Invests $10M in App Outsourcer

#100

Post by thewarrior »

codeshaman wrote: post #93
woah wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm guessing the "AI" is mostly just marketing bs. They're just trying a different consultancy model and have been given 10 mill.

I'm guessing too.. Still, there is undisputed progress being made in the field of rapid software development and dev tools and AI ... While not there yet, if the progress continues at the same pace, we will be there within a decade.

Could you share any examples ?
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