What happens when t approaches 0?

One of the interesting topics that came up today at Software Trends was “what happens when the time to develop a new application approaches zero?”

It will never be zero, of course, but it will, over time, asymptotically approach zero. Suppose we finally get to the stage where a single developer, sitting at a laptop, can develop an application as fast as the end user/sponsor/customer can describe what they want.

What impact would that have on project management? On project lifecycle? On billing?

The very notion of a “project” kind of goes away (it’s on its way out anyway). Software is born and lives until the last person stops using it. It’s a software lifetime, not a lifecycle. Software is never done, it may well outlive its creator, and it will continue to be modified and evolve throughout its useful life.

Are you prepared for that style of development? Are any of us?