The software industry must act: It risks being swept by a tsunami

Something has changed in software. The proof is visible in the table alongside.

- NILESH JASANI

In the past, a software idea could give you a five- or 10-year head-start over rivals. No longer. In today's AI-led world, major innovations get copied in days or weeks. But this piece is not about timelines. Or speed. It's about the response.

If there's a tsunami warning, check for an earthquake: For a risk check, first ask if a quake has struck. The software sector has had one. The core dynamic that drove product-led growth for three decades—new ideas staying technologically unique for years—no longer holds. Even the best new features are replicated in weeks. Yet, much of the industry seems to think it's business as usual. The shift is often dismissed with references to history. We hear of a past when software revenues always grew. Of the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). We are told to look at 'nuances,' which invariably mean those who suffer will be someone else. Yes, nuances matter, but denial is dangerous.