There’s a lot of noise right now about what generative technology can do in enterprise software development for applications and workflows. Depending on who you ask, it’s either the end of software developers — or just another overhyped shift. Let’s cut through the noise.
We Started With The Low-Code Revolution
Low code was a revolution. It provided the ability for nondevelopers to build applications and workflows without getting technical and learning to code. It enabled developers to move faster and focus far less on hand-coding and the architectural considerations of applications.
We’re now long past this being a revolution, however. Enterprises today want anyone to be able to build applications, workflows, and agents. AI can write some of these for you, regardless of your skill. But there’s more to it than that.
AppGen Eats Low-Code And Evolves The Nature Of Development
AppGen (short for “application generation”) platforms are a category of software development tools that use AI and ML to automate the process of creating, editing, and releasing applications. These platforms enable developers and nondevelopers alike to use prompts and other AI assistive tools to generate applications. Many also generate backend workflows and agents. The objective of these platforms is to provide enterprise-grade scale, security, and management that’s abstracted away from creators so they can just focus on building what they need.
What This Means To Other Software Development Approaches Like Vibe-Coding
There’s a significant distinction right now between the things that you can build with tools such as Lovable, Replit, Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf — all of which are a mixed bag. They’re not backed by an enterprise platform, which means that there are all kinds of limitations, like autoscaling, built-in security, management of apps, workflows, and agents limiting nondeveloper productivity. Add to this the lessons that everyone in the technology field should have learned from shadow IT, APIs, robotic process automation (RPA), and similar democratization moves: Unmanaged sprawl creates security risks, leaves software deployed as zombies with unknown resource consumption, and many times cannot be enhanced or extended to provide real value. All this leads to wasted work effort and budget.
This means that it’s important to start on a platform providing security, scalability, and management for the things that are created. This does not mean going back to old models of central IT approvals for everything deployed. That would greatly limit the value of moving to an “everyone is a creator” model. Instead, the company must provide the platform for its workers to build on, ensuring that you don’t run headlong into these issues.
The Hype Cycle Is Real
We’ve seen this movie before. Remember when no-code was going to eliminate developers? Or when RPA was going to automate everything? Or when “citizen developers” were going to build all your enterprise apps? Each of these movements brought real value — but also real confusion. AppGen is no different in that regard.
The problem isn’t the technology, however: It’s the narrative. When software vendors claim that their product will replace developers completely or that prompts will replace platforms, they’re selling a fantasy. The reality is more nuanced — and more interesting.
What AppGen Can (And Can’t) Do Today
Right now, AppGen platforms can:
Generate apps that can be extended or enhanced.
Generate backend workflows based on patterns.
Automate parts of the software development lifecycle (testing, documentation, deployment).
Create agents that can handle simple tasks or workflows.
But these platforms can’t:
Understand your business context.
Autonomously ensure compliance, security, or governance.
Replace the judgment, creativity, and nuance of skills possessed by people who understand how you want the business to run using the software.
In other words, AppGen can accelerate creation, but it doesn’t replace all the tasks involved with development.
Why This Still Matters
Despite the hype, AppGen is worth paying attention to — not because it’s magic but because it’s practical. Used well, AppGen platforms can:
Speed up prototyping and iteration.
Empower more people to contribute to software creation.
Reduce the burden on overworked development teams.
Lay the groundwork for more adaptive, agentic systems.
This can only happen if we approach this with clear eyes and realistic expectations.
The Bottom Line
AppGen isn’t the end of software development, but it does reduce the need for coding drastically. It’s the next logical step in a long journey toward more intelligent, collaborative, and efficient ways of building software. The winners won’t be the ones who buy into the hype; they’ll be the ones who understand what AppGen can actually do, what it can’t, and then build the right strategy around it.
Are you transitioning to AppGen (or already using it)? Please complete this survey to inform future research efforts. My recent research on AppGen will also help you navigate this development transformation: Everyone Is An App Creator With App Generation Platforms.
Clients can reach out to schedule time with me for guidance. Vendors, if you have an AppGen product and haven’t briefed me, please do so.
