Software development has become more of a competitive market than it has ever been. A shortage of useful employees and an overabundance of doe-eyed, gold rushing, "business owners" have led to an obvious break in the ability of the market to sustain as is for much longer.
Software Product Development For Profit: 2019 And Beyond
The market has been flooded with inferior products. Not only in the sense of doing something inadequately or at best pretty well, but as well as overcharging and partaking in manipulative business practices. There is an observable attitude of arrogance that has festered into a culture of greed. The only way to understand where we have been in this case, is to look toward what it means in the future.
In this brief post, we intend to do just that, by looking at the opportunity that is the software development market in 2019 and beyond.
The Importance Of Building A Robust Team
In 2019, teams will matter more than ever. ICOs and other startup funding attempt's success will be based more than ever on both the strength of the product and the team itself. Even the best products never reach their full potential due to incompetent leadership or an inability to adapt.
One of the first things that come to mind regarding the limitations of any Saas company that has had run-ins with fixing issues is their team. The more time spent fixing a problem, the more money lost, and it can cascade quickly into a worse situation.
Building a robust team means more than just a group of people with complementary skill sets. Beyond the technical, marketing, and sales aspects of developing software for business use, it means being able to work well together to problem solve.
The challenge lies in ensuring every new member feels adequately compensated in the short or long term so that they cannot be lured away. As the industry becomes more and more competitive in 2019, the budget will matter less than having a team that can last and commits to doing whatever is necessary.
What Areas Are Likely To Explode In 2019
When looking at software product development opportunities, it means looking beyond the immediate trends. It means isolating opportunities that can potentially be long-term chances for growth.
One example on the list is blockchain based projects. With the lucrative albeit rabid fanbase of blockchain as a development platform for technology the biggest impetus that many have is the complexity of the tech itself.
The need to source or hire blockchain developers as well as those that understand the usefulness can seem a barrier, but its a qualifier for those that are meant to be involved.
Blockchain tech is the future because of its ability to be flexible in terms of how well it works and for what it works well with in terms of practical capability.
Beyond blockchain, mobile will continue to be a major market for software product development.
And finally, the area of project management software services for industrial sales to corporate clients will continue to be shaken up as products like Microsoft 360 take a stronger foothold in areas normally reserved for Salesforce and other more established products.
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2026 Update: What Has Changed About Building Software Products For Profit
I wrote the original version of this post back in 2019 and, honestly, so much has shifted that I felt it was only fair to come back and tell you what I actually think now, in 2026, having worked with dozens of software founders and product teams in the years since. The landscape is not just different, it is almost unrecognisable in places, and I want to be straight with you about what that means for your bottom line.
The biggest shift is AI-assisted development. Tools like Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and a growing number of competitors have genuinely compressed the time it takes to go from idea to working prototype. I have seen solo founders ship minimum viable products in weeks that would have taken a small team months back in 2019. That sounds exciting, and it is, but it also means the bar for what counts as "good enough to sell" has risen sharply because your competitors have access to exactly the same speed advantages. Moving fast is no longer a differentiator on its own.
Pricing strategy has also matured considerably. The race to the bottom on SaaS subscriptions that dominated 2019 thinking has largely played out, and what I am seeing work now is usage-based pricing or hybrid models where customers pay a base fee plus usage. It aligns your revenue more honestly with the value you are actually delivering, and frankly customers in 2026 are more sophisticated about pricing conversations than they were even three years ago. They will push back on flat monthly fees if they cannot see clear value quickly.
Validation before build has never mattered more. With AI tools making it cheaper to build, there is a real temptation to just start coding or prompting your way to a product before you have spoken to a single potential customer. I have watched people waste months and real money on products nobody wanted because the cost of starting felt so low. Do your customer discovery work first. That part has not changed one bit since 2019.
Finally, distribution is where I see most software founders struggle in 2026. Building is easier than it has ever been; getting found and trusted is harder than it has ever been. Content, community, and partnerships are doing the heavy lifting for the products I see succeeding right now. If you are planning a software product and you do not have a clear answer to "how will people find this and why will they trust it," go back and answer that question before anything else.
Bottom line: Profitable software products in 2019 and beyond come from solving a specific, painful problem for a well-defined audience, not from chasing every feature idea. Validate demand before you build, price for value rather than cost, and treat customer feedback as your roadmap. The businesses that win are the ones that stay close to their users and iterate fast.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a software product profitable in 2019?
A clear focus on one problem for one audience, a pricing model tied to the value delivered, and low customer acquisition costs relative to lifetime value. Profitability comes from discipline in what you say no to, not just what you build.
Should I build an MVP before investing heavily in development?
Yes. An MVP lets you test whether people will pay for a solution before you sink months into features nobody asked for. Talk to potential customers first, then build the smallest version that proves the concept.
How important is customer feedback after launch?
It is essential. Feedback tells you what to fix, what to build next, and what to drop. Products that grow steadily are usually the ones where the team treats users as ongoing collaborators rather than a one-time sale.
What pricing model works best for software products?
There is no single answer, but subscription and tiered pricing tend to work well because they align revenue with ongoing value. Test a few models early, watch conversion and churn, and adjust based on what your specific audience responds to.
