I have had ongoing issues with the mobile and desktop apps. I’ve switched to only using the browser interface. It was nice while it lasted.
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I wish they’d let me get my hands on maintaining the desktop app.
Man oh man.
I’d maintain the crap out of it by myself and you know what I’d do?
I’d make a section, or the option to do a “Throwback” version. Where it’s the old Replit without AI.
So, users who feel slighted during the pivot from browser IDE to AI first IDE can return to the Replit they love.
I’d also make it so users could customize their UI / css / visualization of the Replit IDE according to their preferences. Some prefer customization for vision reasons.
Then I’d add a way for users to manage their agents outside of the Replit agent so users could integrate and manage their agents (including the Replit agent) all in one space.
This way we can burn through the daily free Claude, GPT credits on whatever. Then switch to the Replit agent credits.
That’d boost user retention. That’s what Replit should focus on. Developer retention. Not busting out marketing schemes that suck in a wave of short stop developers and one timers. I get and respect the idea…
My years of watching Game shows with my grandparents has taught me a lot about the semantics and what winners actually win (a brand new tax bill! Unless given credits) This is what Buildathons are in my mind.
Turnover rates have to impact this space the same as any job, and turnover rates are costly.
Anyways… I truly believe that if they invested in the desktop version in this fashion they’d get an influx of stable higher tier developers.
They’d prolly get troves of developers return just for the Replit throwback IDE, and then they can box big AI for all rounds because they offer agent management.
Honestly, I’m low key trying to come up with legit ways to prove this to Replit as a way to push them back to maintaining.
However, marketing and sales teams in big tech companies think they are Gods second coming.
So, it’s hard to get through to them in a way that resonates. Hence why I need to put it in terms the CEO understands.
Money.
Between the split screen that won’t go away and the constant loss of connection and refresh required its untenable.
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Oh I know… I hear you loud and clear.
It’s not cost effective for them to hire staff to maintain it. It’s complicated and requires a small team of maybe 3-5 engineers to consistently maintain and support it.
Lots of extra nuances and complexity with that type of architecture.
I totally get their move to browser based & AI first IDE. You need to do what marketing and sales people egos tell you, so you can stay above water and get large clients like Shaq.
Venture capital runs out, private equity ruins good products.
Once they’ve gotten a groove down with this pivot (maybe agent 10) I really think they’ll need to be like Apple and expand their product set to include a desktop version that does all of this.
Otherwise, I can see Claude and anthropic / all large LLMs making their own IDE with built in publishing.
If Replit doesn’t come up with something akin to the Apple Watch, Tablet, MacBook etc etc then big AI will eat them and they’ll use their products to give their customer base the exact same value prop without the agent price tag.
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