The Tiktokification of apps: How AI will transform building, selling, and monetizing software

When anyone can create apps as easily as content, software stops being a product. It becomes a language of expression.

For decades, apps have been meticulously crafted products designed for broad audiences. But most of life happens in the long tail: fleeting moments, hyper-specific needs, and niche communities. Traditional apps ignored these because they were too costly or unprofitable to build. AI changes all that.

Just as the smartphone camera turned billions into photographers and social media made everyone a creator, AI is democratizing software. When building apps becomes as easy as writing a tweet, the very concept of “apps” will transform.

Here’s the new landscape:

• Disposable apps: A block party app manages RSVPs, food truck locations, and event updates. Used for a day, and gone.
• Remixable apps: Like TikToks, an app for a hiking group can be cloned and adapted into a customized version for dog walkers.
• Hyper-personalized apps: A fitness tracker that syncs with your gym schedule, custom meal plans, and local farmers’ market deals.

This shift unlocks the long tail of functionality traditional apps ignored. Hyper-specific problems now have solutions, transforming how we engage with and monetize software.

Discovery and monetization are evolving

• Micro-marketplaces and social “app influencers” will curate the best tools.
• Business models will focus on templates, customizations, and integrations over standalone apps.

The app store isn’t going away, but its dominance will fade.

Disposable, remixable apps will thrive on new platforms that prioritize speed, community, and creativity. They’ll spread like ideas: viral, ephemeral, and deeply personal.

When apps become as easy to make as TikToks, they won’t just change software. They’ll change how we live, work, and create.

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If you have any questions or thoughts, don't hesitate to reach out. You can find me as @viksit on Twitter.