“Is software dead?

By Tony Dieste

“Is software dead?

That’s the question on everyone’s mind. It’s what is being whispered in boardrooms, on X, and across investor calls right now. Having built businesses in communications, marketing, and media, I’ve seen lots of disintermediation before. (cable fragments and ends the broadcasters’ monopoly, the internet, Google and search advertising, social media and programmatic advertising, and now AI and the collapse of the creative/distribution stack), and we reinvented, survived, and thrived through it all. With AI agents cranking out code faster than ever, SaaS stocks getting hammered, and headlines screaming ‘SaaSpocalypse,’ it’s easy to buy the panic.

But here’s the truth: it’s not replacing the architects, the system thinkers, the ones who turn chaos into a reliable, scalable reality. It’s making the hard parts harder and way more valuable. I can relate, as I’ve seen worlds disintermediated many times before, only to be made more creative and efficient.

In my latest article, I break down why the ‘software is dead’ narrative is mostly noise and why I think there will be more value in what’s ahead.

If you’re a developer wondering if it’s time to pivot careers, a marketing leader wondering and rethinking what platform to plug into your tech stack, or an investor betting on (or against) the next wave—read this before you hit ‘refresh’ on those job boards or stock tickers.

Software isn’t dead. It’s just getting interesting again.

What do you think—is the doomsday clock ticking for traditional coding, or are we on the cusp of the most powerful era yet?