Advancing Our Digital Future
ACHIEVING WHAT’S NEXT IN DEVELOPER PRODUCTIVITY
Go further, with research and insights fueled by Vista’s global technology ecosystem.
Vista is a leading global investment firm with more than $100 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2023.
The firm exclusively invests in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit and public equity strategies, bringing an approach that prioritizes creating enduring market value
for the benefit of its global ecosystem of investors, companies, customers and employees. Vista’s investments are anchored by a sizable long-term capital base, experience in structuring technology-oriented transactions and proven, flexible management techniques that drive sustainable growth. Vista believes the transformative power of technology is the key to an even better future – a healthier planet, a smarter economy, a diverse and inclusive community and a broader path to prosperity.
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Together as a unified ecosystem, we’re exploring the limits of transformative technologies so that we can ultimately deliver new and innovative solutions that power the digital economy.
robert f. smith
Founder, Chairman and CEO
Vista Equity PartnerS
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies have sparked global intrigue, but it’s the people behind the machines who will shape our digital future. As technology evolves at warp speed, we must equip developers with the tools and training to innovate responsibly. Through collaborative partnership, global networking events and cutting-edge research,
Vista is empowering the companies and developers in our ecosystem to do more while doing good.
50+
TEAMS
35
Companies
~250
participants
Software CEOs are often running very similar companies, so hearing how others have dealt with a challenge is relatable and it’s valuable.
Christopher Cabrera, Founder and CEO, Xactly
We’ve got to sharpen our pencils and know our businesses inside and out. Networking and sharing best practices on key metrics and activities we should be undertaking during uncertain times has provided valuable clarity.
Christina Kosmowski, CEO, LogicMonitor
I heard someone say that Vista’s engine is human, and I believe that. Lots of firms can provide capital, but the knowledge of how to grow enterprise software companies is what sets Vista apart.
Navin Gupta, CEO, iN2L
Endorsements presented herein are made by current or former employees of Vista portfolio companies, over which Vista may have the ability to exercise discretion on employee compensation, promotion and other employment decisions.
Every year, developers from across the Vista ecosystem gather to compete in our North America and India Global Hackathons, a 24-hour event designed to promote innovation, drive product differentiation and cultivate cross-portfolio connections. With generative AI poised to shift how enterprise software companies engage with customers and deliver value, the 2023 Hackathon focused on developing practical and responsible generative AI solutions. We also welcomed STEM students from historically Black colleges and universities to participate in the competition and
gain hands-on experience.
Vista’s 2023 Global Hackathon
The Hackathon Experience
FPO
Developing Software
Reaching the Next
Technology Frontier
Global
Hackathon
VISTA and microsoft report
Generative AI and Software
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Software Developers and Generative AI:
The Best of Both Worlds: Unlocking the Potential of Hybrid Work for Software Engineers
The dotcom boom of the late 1990s democratized and expanded access to the internet and opened the door to the digital economy. Since then, we’ve witnessed massive leaps in technological advancement including the rise of social media, the shift to mobile, the transition to cloud computing, the proliferation of deep learning and the acceleration of digital transformation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November 2022, OpenAI brought the latest technological advancement – generative AI – to the masses with the launch of ChatGPT, which quickly became the fastest-growing application of all time. According to Goldman Sachs, generative AI could drive a 7% or nearly $7 trillion increase in global GDP and lift productivity growth by 1.5 percentage points over a 10-year period. That said, thoughtful deployment will be imperative to truly harness the power and potential of this nascent technology.
Software and software developers can play a key role in enabling AI by working together to enhance existing solutions, deliver more advanced capabilities and shape our shared future.
Generative AI and Software: A Technology Power Couple
While it feels like generative AI emerged overnight, this technology has had military and business applications for decades and was a driving force behind the evolution of software. Many software companies have been leveraging AI in their products for close to a decade to enable use cases like matching job candidates to job openings or providing tracking, strategy and analytics to sports teams.
Data is the foundation of enterprise software, and AI can help software companies harness large swaths of information to provide intelligent insights, automate repetitive tasks, improve the user experience and optimize processes. By integrating AI into their products, software businesses can leverage their proprietary data assets to drive innovation and unlock additional customer value, resulting in more powerful and efficient solutions for users and increased return on investment for customers.
Unlocking Developer Productivity Through Generative AI
Developer productivity, in particular, stands to benefit from generative AI through tools like GitHub’s Copilot and AWS Code Whisperer. By leveraging AI tools that target each phase of the software lifecycle – from software architecture design and coding to testing, deployment and monitoring - developers can significantly reduce time spent on manual, repetitive and low-value tasks and work with speed and accuracy on solving difficult, high-value business problems.
A 2023 study from Microsoft, GitHub and MIT found that when developers were paired with an AI programmer, they completed tasks 55.8% more quickly than the control group. AI tools can be helpful to both junior developers who can benefit from an experienced AI copilot and to more senior developers who can create excess capacity to accelerate roadmaps and pursue other areas of innovation. Generative AI can also help with technical debt by reducing human error in code.
Readying Software Companies for Generative AI
Similar to how cloud computing changed the software model from on-premise to subscription-based, generative AI represents the next shift in the evolution of software – with product innovation and productivity uplift potential.
That said, much like companies that rush into cloud transformations face migration complexity and other issues without a clear strategy, software companies should avoid similar pitfalls with generative AI deployment by having a keen understanding of potential challenges from the outset.
This starts by acknowledging that despite rapid advancements, we are still in the early innings of understanding how to responsibly use and manage this technology. Thoughtful exploration of generative AI use cases includes understanding competitive risk, technology readiness, commercial viability, legal exposure, cybersecurity implications, regulatory implications and ethical issues such as bias proliferation in AI models.
Software executives should also keep talent top of mind. The rise of generative AI has created demand for new and emerging engineering roles, and the search for top tech talent will continue to be a struggle for many companies as new roles emerge and demand for high-skilled workers surges. Upskilling and reskilling existing talent through professional development and training management programs provides a solution to ensure developers are equipped to work alongside generative AI tools.
Where Will Generative AI and Software Companies Go From Here?
Applications of generative AI are currently embedding intelligence into existing software capabilities. In the future, generative AI tools will become more creative and adaptive, further automating complex tasks. With the right strategy and approach, software companies can leverage generative AI to drive enhanced performance, promote innovation and deliver unprecedented customer value.
Technology is transformative – its power and potential bound to the ingenuity of human progress. If we execute thoughtfully and responsibly, and with patience for the evolution of innovation, we stand to harness the best of generative AI to further the next era of human prosperity.
Teams from across our portfolio presented submissions with use cases spanning from personalized student instruction to automated software testing. Click the video below to follow one team’s experience building a winning solution.
Using generative AI throughout this hackathon has allowed us to tap into a new paradigm for programming, which I think will forever change the way developers go about their work.
Salesloft Team Member
It feels good knowing that I put a piece of myself into a project that has real world applications. It has motivated me to build the next thing and keep improving.
Morehouse College Student
Interested in participating in the 2024 North America Hackathon? Email us for more information.