The Barbell of Software Value

After years as a developer for both startups and large tech companies, as well as recently founding my own startup, I’ve spent a lot of time digging into where real software value is moving as AI transforms the industry. Based on my experience and market research, I drafted what I call the Barbell of Software Value theory.

In short: Software value is concentrating at two ends—platforms and primitives (clouds, models, foundational dev tools) and private or internal systems built solely for a single large company. The middle generic horizontal SaaS is being squeezed out by AI-driven feature parity and vendor consolidation. Only highly vertical, deeply integrated SaaS with undeniable ROI survives. Everything else is getting commoditized or brought in-house.

I’d love to hear how others on HN are approaching this. If you’re building or investing, are you focused on platform, vertical SaaS, or internal leverage? Curious to get your perspectives.