Let’s talk about vibe coding and vertical market software.
Hi, I’m Mark Fletcher. I founded Tower Systems back in 1981. Back then I was a programmer. My languages of choice were Fortran (for more technical application) and PL/1 (for more commercial coding). The last programming I did was in the very early 1990s.
I also have owned retail shops for decades. Today, I have one physical shop and four online retail businesses. That retail experience is relevant to this. You can check me out on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fletcher-tower/
Early this year, I vibe coded a couple of applications. It was exciting, fun. One was a possible commercial project. I deployed a test version. It was very cool. But, it wasn’t commercial, certainly not to a standard I’d want money for.
I mention all that for perspective for what I want to say in this comparison of vibe coding versus buying commercial software. I should also note that I sold Tower Systems to Vela APX, a Constellation Software company. I’m still in the business and loving it by the way.
How does vibe coding compare commercial vertical market software?
Vibe Coding is a mainstream topic thanks to social media content pitching it. Plenty of people are making money selling courses and workshops about vibe coding and while vibe coding is cool, there are reasons that businesses need to be careful in approaching it.
Retailers read about vibe coding, about anyone being able to spin up an app in a weekend, and they start wondering: why am I paying for software when I could just build it myself?
It’s a fair question. But most of the time, the answer is: don’t.
Here’s the thing about commercially released software: it’s been through a process. Think of it like food from a licensed kitchen. Before it reaches you, someone has checked it, tested it, made sure it does what it claims. When you vibe code something yourself, you might end up with something that looks right and feels right. But unless you’re a developer, it probably has gaps.
Where does commercially released vertical market software differ to vibe coded software?
I spoke recently with a retailer who’d done exactly this. They’d built their own tool, and it handled some of what they needed. But not all of it. There were steps at the end of key processes that the software couldn’t complete, and so they completed them manually. Two to three hours a week, every week. When we looked at Tower Systems software covering the same ground, it handled the whole process end to end. Our software costs a few dollars a day. Their manual workaround was costing them hours.
There’s another reason to go commercial that doesn’t get talked about enough: collective knowledge. Software used across hundreds of businesses accumulates feedback that a single-user build never can. Every retailer using Tower Systems is, in a sense, contributing to the product. Their experience, their edge cases, their suggestions, that all feeds back into what gets built next. Retailers benefit from that even if they never submit a single support ticket.
The latest Tower Systems release is a good example. A meaningful chunk of the enhancements came directly from retailers. Not from our team guessing what might be useful, from people actually running shops telling us what they needed.
What is the value difference between commercial and vibe coded software?
When you’re weighing up vibe coding versus commercial software, think about what you’re actually comparing. On one side: something built quickly, for free, by someone who isn’t a software developer, with no QA process and no community behind it. But, since it’s personal you may feel more love for it. On the other: software built over decades, tested before release, shaped by hundreds of retailers across Australia and New Zealand, and updated regularly. But, since it is commercial it has a cost.
The food analogy I shared earlier holds. You wouldn’t buy a meal from a home kitchen that hasn’t met basic health standards. The same logic applies to software running your business.
Tower Systems builds specifically for specialty retail: bookshops, farm supply businesses, gift shops, bike shops, pet shops, jewellers, newsagencies, garden centres, toy shops, music shops, and more.
If you want to talk through whether it’s right for your business, reach out: towersystems.com.au, sales@towersystems.com.au, or call 1300 662 957.
Yes, this post is a sales pitch. It’s also true. And, it’s written by me: Mark Fletcher. Someone with decades of experience in software development and decades of experience owning and running retail businesses.
Oh, and, yes, these are all my own words.
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