Published
Nov 15, 2024
Written by
Accel
AI is rewriting software: but what does it mean for software developers?
This is the question we've been asking ourselves for a while. Today, AI is providing developers with tools for code completion and it is reasonable to think that, over time, AI will be able to write functions, libraries and eventually full applications.
In this new world, where a large part of the coding is coming from prompts, there will be a massive need for new developer tools to make it easier for developers to create, test, manage and maintain their code.
We could not think of a better person than Guy Podjarny to tackle this challenge. Guy previously founded Snyk, building it into a multi-billion dollar global leader in developer-focused security. His mission at Snyk was to help developers write secure code and he was a strong advocate of the “shift left” movement, changing the way developers think about security. We first met Guy in 2016 and were immediately impressed by his understanding of the developer world and his vision for Snyk. This led us to partner with him in 2018 and beyond, leading the company's series A and B rounds. One of Guy’s superpowers relies in his ability to create communities and engrain these community-centric principles into the DNA of the product. If you are interested in learning more, you can read our interview with Guy from 2021 here.
While most AI coding tools focus on automating parts of existing workflows, with Tessl, Guy will tackle the challenge of reimagining software creation from the ground up – moving from a ‘code-centric’ to a ‘spec-centric’ model that will make development radically more accessible, productive, maintainable and secure. By removing the reliance on coding, software will become highly adaptable, personalized to a user’s needs, portable from platform to platform, and constantly improving with less human effort.
“We’re creating a new paradigm where humans express what they want to build, and AI handles the implementation”
Guy Podjarny, founder and CEO of Tessl
We're thrilled to partner with Guy again for this exciting and ambitious project, reuniting with our friends Ed Sim at Boldstart and Tom Hulmeat at GV who were early backers of Snyk, as well as Carlos Gonzales-Cadenas at Index.
We can’t wait to see what Guy’s vision will deliver in the months to come and how it will change forever the way developers think about software creation.
The Accel Team