Why Do Strategy and Taste Matter More Than Coding Speed?

Aaron Levie says the premium in a startup has moved off coding speed. Hacking something together used to be the scarce skill. That work is fairly commoditized now, because agents can do it from a clear spec.

The new leverage is knowing what to build. Startups that get ahead write very clear prompts and in-depth specifications, the practice called spec-driven development. Being good at the spec, and being clear about the product, is extreme leverage. The questions that matter are whether there is a real market, whether the idea is good, whether it looks good, and whether it has taste. Companies that are religious about getting strategy and taste right are the ones that pull ahead.