Software development used to cost US$150K and take months. Not anymore
Hands-on masterclass on agentic development showed just how much the game has changed.
The way software is built is being upended by AI. That was my takeaway after attending a hands-on masterclass on agentic software development this afternoon.
The three-hour workshop was conducted by John Ang, who founded Hasky Technologies in November and already has close to a dozen customers.
The old way
Before starting, the former head of AI Engineering briefly walked through key concepts in modern software development, including common roles such as designer, AI engineer, project manager, product manager, backend engineer, and frontend engineer.
With such big teams, it is no surprise that many software development projects typically cost US$150,000 and up, not to mention taking months of effort and potential delays. Even then, projects could depend on whether available developers are versed in the required coding language, platforms, or frameworks.
And because development takes so long, it is not uncommon to encounter situations where project sponsors or stakeholders leave, which often sends the entire effort into limbo. Welcome to software development hell.
Photo Credit: Paul Mah (Left). Dede A (Right).
At AI speed
With AI, everything changes. According to Hasky Technologies, its approach gives organisations an unfair advantage, such as the ability to move at 10 times the speed.
Instead of boring participants with the theory, John gave them a chance to try it themselves, on the spot, using Claude Code on their personal laptops.
It's not just about vibe coding an app, either. Drawing on his extensive experience developing AI software projects, John has designed a system that mimics the systematic processes of traditional software development. The result is a structured and reproducible process for building software that ensures aspects such as usability, testing, and security are not compromised.
From US$150,000 to US$20
I fired up Claude Code for the first time just last Sunday, the day before I met Dede T. for coffee and received the invite to attend. For sure, I learned tips and strategies from John that are worth their weight in gold.
I built my second functional app in around 50 minutes today. Like the first, it would have been impossible otherwise. While I can code, it would have taken me far too long. Now, it costs me just US$20 and a few hours.
