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The cost of building software is plummeting to zero

· 2 min read

AI is revolutionizing software development costs and shifting value creation in the financial industry. I talk about the growing importance of data infrastructure, the rise of customizable solutions, and how OpenBB Workspace enables firms to build specialized AI-powered financial tools.

The cost of building software is plummeting to zero—and it's happening faster than anyone predicted.

AI isn't just transforming software development; it's completely rewriting the rules of the game. What once took months and millions now takes days and thousands.

But here's the critical insight: this seismic shift is redistributing where value is created.

Traditional desktop financial applications? They're becoming commodities. The real value is migrating rapidly to the data layer, the foundation beneath the application.

Look at Snowflake's meteoric rise in financial services. It's not just adoption; it's a fundamental restructuring of how the industry manages and leverages data.

So how do you build lasting value in this new landscape?

The answer is threefold:

  1. Provide flexible, customizable infrastructure
  2. Embrace open-source and on-premise deployment
  3. Enable seamless integration of proprietary datasets

But 2025 brings an even more transformative opportunity: AI agents that can be built on top of these applications, creating hyper-specialized workflows that adapt to each user's needs.

While we're still under wraps about some of our client work, here's a concrete example: During the holiday break, our Director of Engineering showcased the future of portfolio management.

Using OpenBB Workspace, he built a sophisticated portfolio optimization system that:

  • Integrates his proprietary (and sensitive) portfolio data
  • Leverages a custom AI agent for risk analysis
  • Automatically rebalances his portfolio based on complex criteria

This isn't just a tool - it's a glimpse into how OpenBB Workspace can transform entire departments within investment firms.

This 6-minute demo of OpenBB Workspace is one of the most compelling I’ve seen.


The future of financial software is here.