The building revolution: 2025 builder report

Software development is undergoing a transformative shift as non-engineers increasingly build production-ready applications using enterprise AppGen tools, which combine low-code capabilities with AI. This democratization of software creation enables operations managers, product leaders, and finance analysts to independently develop solutions that meet their teams' needs, significantly reducing development cycles from months to days. The survey of 1,128 Retool builders reveals that 65% of participants are non-engineers who now contribute to software development, highlighting a blurring of traditional roles between technical and business functions. This shift is driven by AI productivity mandates, with 66% of builders working under such directives, leading to a new economic model where custom solutions are created more efficiently and cost-effectively. Despite initial concerns over AI mandates, the benefits include increased productivity and the ability for organizations to scale horizontally without relying solely on hiring or external software vendors. However, the success of this model depends on implementing guardrails within platforms to ensure security and compliance, transforming business users into pivotal problem solvers and driving organizational growth.