From SaaS to Custom Internal Tools
The days of one-size-fits-all SaaS tools might be numbered.
AI is changing how software gets built. Instead of subscribing to a dozen apps that get you 80% of what you need, it’s becoming possible to build your own internal tools that fit 100%.
At AfterSchool HQ, we built an internal app that pulls together our sales, marketing, and customer success data: CAC, ARR, NPS, and more, all in one place. It helps us understand what’s working and where to focus.
AI didn’t replace a team, but it made development faster and more affordable. I guided it through the structure, let it code while I worked on other things, and refined it along the way. It’s not something I would have had time to build otherwise.
We’re doing similar things at Wellcrafted Startups for our clients, and it makes me think. SaaS is evolving. From mass-produced to tailor-made. From subscribe and adapt to build and align.
There will always be productivity apps built on a mass scale, and in many cases it will still be cheaper to buy than build. But there will also be more situations where building becomes the smarter investment.
It might be time for companies to start asking if their current tools are really solving problems or if they have created new ones that could be better solved by a purpose-built internal app.
What’s one process in your company that would be better if you built it yourself?
