The value of software in a Fable world

Justin Jackson · 11 Jul 2026

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Even as AI makes building software easy, people will still prefer to buy some software off-the-shelf rather than build their own.

Their wordsMy guess is that people will still want to buy certain types of software and tools "off-the-shelf."

Also said by Jason Fried

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Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Scarcity and difficulty of production, not just usefulness, are what let a seller charge more.

Their wordsGenerally, the economy rewards difficulty and rarity. If something is hard to do or make, you get to charge more.
Our reading
Even as AI makes building software easy, people will still prefer to buy some software off-the-shelf rather than build their own.
Mental modelSpecialise and trade

Their wordsMy guess is that people will still want to buy certain types of software and tools "off-the-shelf."
Our reading
As AI makes coding easy for everyone, the ability to code stops being a meaningful edge for entrepreneurs.
Mental modelValue moves to what stays scarce

Their wordsIndie entrepreneurs need to stack every advantage they have, and increasingly "coding" won't be the advantage it once was.

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