How AI can Reimagine Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC): Part 1 of 7

Author

Naman Jain

EXPERT

HOST

TABLE OF CONTENTS

what entails SDLC?

evaluation lens

other evaluation axes

AI’s role in transforming SDLC

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For the first time in history, we see a piece of software that can think and write code like a developer.

Even though we are in the early phase of harnessing this transformative technology, there is immense potential for automation in application development due to ever-increasing costs of development driven by shortage of high-quality engineers and increasing complexity of software.

This thesis presents the emerging opportunities for startups by examining how AI will influence SDLC. This document breaks down the development process into parts, presents opportunities, its effect on the key personas and finally, the emerging opportunities for startups.

what entails SDLC?

First, let's break down SDLC and the stakeholders involved in the process. There are 6 major steps in SDLC:

UI/UX design
System design
Code writing
Testing
Deployment
Maintenance

There are further 5 key personas involved in the development process:

Software engineer
Designer
PM
DevOps Engineer
Tester

Each of these personas has two archetypes: “Senior” and “Junior”. A “Senior” is responsible for managing the team, deciding key elements of their part in SDLC, and solving complex problems. A “Junior”, on the other hand, is responsible for executing the tasks and resolving implementation issues in development.

evaluation lens

Before we dive into the impact of AI on the steps and personas involved in SDLC, below are the three broad frameworks used to evaluate the impact of AI on work (where “work” refers to the various tasks involved in SDLC)

other evaluation axes

Technical feasibility - based on costs, talent, and current research findings
Ease of GTM - based on competition intensity and barrier to entry
Market size - based on paying capability and number of customers
Defensibility - based on data access/storage, depth of the workflow, and habit

AI’s role in transforming SDLC

In the upcoming six-part series, we will explore how AI is reshaping each step of the SDLC and uncover the opportunities it presents for startups. We begin with UI/UX Design, examining how AI-driven tools are revolutionizing user experience and interface development.