Building business apps with Softr AI
I instructed Softr AI Cobuilder to build a system based on Priestley’s 24 Assets, and it was done in a few minutes, including setting up the backend, frontend, user groups and permission settings. A build that would have taken multiple days a year ago. The tradeoff between using SaaS tools and building custom apps is increasingly collapsing.
For operators, this enables innovation at scale, even without the in-depth technical knowledge of software engineers. It is possible to build software tools and iterate very fast via natural language prompts.
The video shows an example of building an internal tool with Softr AI Cobuilder.
Softr AI Cobuilder
AI in Softr is embedded in the building experience in two primary ways:
The Cobuilder can build an entire app from scratch and iterate on it based on your prompts. First, you can send the initial prompt to start the app building process. Once the app is live, the cobuilder is available via the dedicated icon on the top left corner, where you can chat with it to make changes.
The AI block allows you to build custom app sections (blocks) with AI, and you can also modify the code generated by ai. You can learn more about it here.
Using AI consumes credits/tokens. In Softr, you can track credit consumption in the dedicated menu, and each plan has a set amount of ai credits that can be topped up.
Using AI in Softr is not the only path to building apps and components, though. The no-code building capabilities are always available and remain the primary surface in the app-building interface.
Even apps generated by the AI Cobuilder can be edited manually in the no-code interface, which makes Softr a compelling tool for non-technical builders who want to maintain control and flexibility over access to data (via Softr Databases) and apps. The artefacts generated by the AI don’t stay “gated” behind code that feels like a black box, but are visually editable on the canvas at any time.
Knowing what to build becomes increasingly crucial. That’s always been one of the major roadblocks in software development. Many software projects fail because of behavioral reasons - the “users” end up not using the systems for several possible reasons: a lack of tangible value, a lack of clear usage guidelines, a lack of enough incentives to switch to the new system, and more. These are mostly behavioral causes, which remain a reality for humans and one of the core areas of intervention for success in any domain when introducing change. It is now increasingly possible to focus more on such behavioral intervention and less on building tools.
I have worked with hundreds of teams to implement systems that stay. Do you wish to build tailored software for you and your team? Submit an enquiry.
