Max Levchin stated that the present time does not allow for poorly written code. Levchin, a co-founder of PayPal who now heads the company Affirm, specializing in buy-now, pay-later services, highlighted that businesses producing software lacking proprietary data or additional value will be replaced. “The standard for software quality is increasing rapidly,” he remarked. He expressed that excuses such as subpar performance or a poor interface are no longer acceptable when the software serves a crucial purpose, and there are resources available to improve it without hiring engineers or recreating it from scratch.

However, Levchin pointed out that not every sector faces disruption to the same extent. He dismissed the notion that AI coding tools could easily render companies like DoorDash obsolete, referring to the idea of building DoorDash on OpenClaw as absurd. “The significance of having an excellent app lies in its seamless integration with a variety of popular eateries,” Levchin emphasized. He elaborated by saying that until OpenClaw can replicate tasks such as contacting restaurants, negotiating with owners, setting up the appropriate hardware and software, extracting menus, and other functions performed by DoorDash, he believes that DoorDash’s position in the market remains secure.

Levchin’s remarks come amid discussions about the future of software following a significant drop in tech stock prices known as the “software apocalypse.” This decline began in early February when apprehensive investors reacted to Anthropic’s new AI tool designed to assist legal industry professionals with administrative duties. Stocks of companies like Salesforce, Snowflake, and Microsoft have fallen by 18% to 38% this year due to concerns that AI advancements enable businesses to create their own software tools.