The "Camera Phone Moment" for Software
How AI is democratizing app creation
A recent internal memo from Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, shared publicly on X, sent a clear message not just to his company, but arguably across the entire professional world: “Reflexive AI usage is now a baseline expectation.”
At Shopify, using AI effectively is becoming part of performance reviews. Prototyping must involve AI exploration. Teams now need to justify not using AI before asking for more resources. Lütke's stance is unambiguous: in today's world, avoiding AI leads to stagnation.
“Stagnation is slow-motion failure.”
The universality of this expectation is notable. Everyone needs to get on board. AI is rapidly becoming a "tool of all trades." Lütke describes it as a potential thought partner, researcher, critic, tutor, and even pair programmer—roles relevant across countless functions.
The revolution enabled by generative AI isn't just about faster copywriting or cheaper market research. Its true potential is in empowering millions of people to create simple, custom, functional digital tools ("Digital Jerry Rigs") to meet specific needs quickly – AI does to app creation what camera phones did to photography.
Lütke acknowledges that using AI well is an “unobvious skill” that needs to be learned “by... using it a lot.” He points out a common hurdle: “My sense is that a lot of people give up after writing a prompt and not getting the ideal thing back immediately.”
Effective AI onboarding must be thoughtful and approachable, gently guiding you into that crucial, self-directed process of experimentation. Soon you can start building your own useful Digital Jerry Rigs—no coding required. AI should absolutely not be intimidating; it can be your most helpful partner yet.
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