"World of DaaS" Airtable CEO Howie Liu - Excel vs Access, Founder Mode, and the Future of SaaS
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Aug 5, 2025 
Howie Liu, co-founder and CEO of Airtable, is a tech visionary who sold his first startup to Salesforce at just 21. In this discussion, he delves into the no-code movement, explaining how it democratizes software development. Liu shares insights on the transformative role of AI in enhancing application functionality. He elaborates on pricing strategies in SaaS, emphasizing the shift towards user-friendly models. Additionally, he reflects on the future of work in an AI-driven landscape and the importance of adaptive leadership for innovation.
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Diverse Airtable User Anecdotes
- Airtable users include cattle farmers, small legal firms, and even an elderly woman cataloging family memoirs.
- This shows the platform's ease of use for a diverse range of non-technical people.
AI Evolves No-Code App Building
- The no-code movement lowers barriers by simplifying app components: data, logic, and interface.
- AI-driven conversational app building is broadening expression and dropping entry barriers drastically.
SaaS Impacted Distribution Over Features
- SaaS mainly disrupted software distribution and collaboration, not functionality itself.
- Collaboration ease like Figma's cloud design files transformed adoption far more than core software features.