AI and the Future of Development

The End of Coding Skill as a Requirement

“I want to make it my mission to become an equally good developer without writing any code myself”

Matt Biilmann, co-founder and CEO of Netlify

On my way to the ski hill I listened to an episode of AI + a16z where Matt talks about the ways AI is shaping the future of developers and even what it means to be one.

The title of the episode is “Anyone can code now” and Matt actually talks about his goals as a developer/CEO: “But I sort of started saying like, I want to make it my mission to become an equally good developer without writing any code myself.”

I believe that in 2026, the debate around the use of AI will heat up even more.

While the debate about ‘real coding’ continues, millions and millions of people will use large language models to build apps, tools, and websites for deployment through services like Netlify. Many of them won’t know how to code and they won’t actually care if people call them vibe coders, or developers, or hacks.

This doesn’t mean coding as a skill will lose all its value. But it does mean it is no longer a barrier to entry in the way it has been traditionally.

The barrier to entry is shifting from syntax to systems thinking, from implementation to intent, from writing code to directing it.

If you’re interested in Matt’s longer journey, I also came across a thoughtful deep dive by Morgan Perry on Substack. You can read it here: https://morganperry.substack.com/p/devtools-brew-47-netlifys-ceo-journey

It’s an easy read and adds useful context to how Netlify arrived at this moment.