SaaS is dead 'as we knew it'
What started as a specific need to send emails ended up becoming an open-source, private, and self-managed system developed in a week using Vibe Coding (and a bit of experience ;).
A few weeks ago, I just needed something very simple:
Send an email campaign.
Nothing especially complex.
But as I reviewed tools and services, I started encountering the same problem over and over again:
I didn't want to depend on external platforms to manage sensitive information about clients, contacts, campaigns, or projects.
SaaS is Starting to Have a Huge Problem
This approach does not apply to every case, and obviously, we are not going to replace every SaaS tool we use (at least for now). There are platforms with great strength and many years of development that are, for now, difficult to replace. However, the landscape is shifting. It's important to note that this model requires a solid foundation and real technical knowledge to successfully implement these types of solutions.
Now, the point is that, for years, we got used to paying for platforms for absolutely everything.
Monthly subscriptions. Limits. Users. Blocked automations. Data on external servers. Total dependence on third parties.
And for a long time, it made sense.
But I sincerely believe that SaaS as we knew it is starting to enter a very complicated phase.
Because now a single person with technical experience, AI, and good tools can develop incredibly powerful internal solutions in absurdly short times.
And that completely changes the rules.
The Problem with External Platforms
Today there are many email marketing platforms. Some are very good.
But practically all of them work the same way:
- Your contacts live on external servers
- Your campaigns pass through third parties
- Your costs increase as you scale
- Your automations depend on artificial limits
- Your data and workflows get trapped inside another ecosystem
And the more you work with real clients, the more important something that many people ignore becomes:
Privacy and information control.
That's when a small need started to become something else.
From a Simple Campaign to Building Turbo-Mailer
Instead of adapting my workflow to an external platform, I decided to do the opposite:
Build a tool adapted exactly to what I needed.
That's how Turbo-Mailer was born.
A private and self-managed system with a professional block-based visual editor, integrated AI (per block and bulk), layer management, and live preview to control campaigns without depending on traditional platforms.
And I also decided to do something that seems almost rare today:
Release it completely for free.
Real Open Source
Turbo-Mailer is completely Open Source and is publicly available on GitHub:
It has an AGPL-3 license.
That means you can:
- Download it
- Install it
- Modify it
- Adapt it
- Use it for your business
- Set up your own infrastructure
- Improve it for your needs
And honestly, I think that's important.
Because I didn't want to create just another closed platform. I wanted to build a useful tool that anyone could use without giving away their information or depending completely on third parties.
A Few Years Ago, This Would Have Been Unfeasible
I have an advanced technical profile. I've been programming for years, work with multiple languages, and am used to moving between development, systems, automation, and interfaces.
But even with experience, developing something like this a few years ago would have required much more time.
Probably weeks or months.
However, combining real technical experience with modern AI tools and Vibe Coding, I was able to develop Turbo-Mailer in approximately one week of work.
And honestly, that seems crazy to me.
AI Does Not Replace Judgment
This is where I think many people misinterpret this new paradigm.
AI greatly accelerates development. It multiplies productivity. Reduces friction. Allows prototyping complex systems at an absurd speed.
But something fundamental is still missing:
Technical judgment.
Because generating code is one thing. Designing architecture, flows, automations, security, and systems that actually work in production is quite another.
AI can help you write pieces. But experience is still needed to understand how to connect everything correctly.
Doing It Fast Doesn't Mean Selling It Cheap
And here I think there is an important reflection for developers, technicians, creatives, and freelancers.
Just because something can be done in seven days doesn't mean it has little value.
Usually, it means exactly the opposite.
Value is not only in the hours invested. It's in the ability to get there.
In the years spent learning. In understanding complex systems. In knowing how to make correct technical decisions. In detecting problems before they appear. In having enough knowledge to turn a need into a real tool.
That is precisely what is starting to create a new barrier to entry today.
Because yes, tools are becoming increasingly accessible. But the difference between someone who simply "uses IA" and someone capable of building complete systems with technical judgment remains huge.
And honestly, I think that's where many professionals should start protecting their value.
The New Advantage of Hybrid Profiles
Turbo-Mailer has also made another idea quite clear to me:
Hybrid profiles are going to have a brutal advantage in the coming years.
People capable of combining:
- Development
- Automation
- Product design
- UX
- AI
- Infrastructure
- Creativity
- Strategy
Because right now we are entering a stage where a single person can build tools that previously required entire teams.
And that completely changes the rules of the game.
The Future No Longer Belongs Only to Large Companies
A few years ago, developing powerful internal software was something reserved for large companies.
Now, not necessarily.
Today, a single person with experience, judgment, and good tools can develop incredibly advanced solutions in ridiculously short times.
And I think we are just beginning to see what that is going to cause.