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Replit has transformed non-technical employees at Zillow into software developers. The real estate giant now routes over 100,000 home shoppers to agents using applications built by team members who had never written code before.
This breakthrough stems from Replit’s new partnership with Anthropic and Google Cloud, which has enabled over 100,000 applications on Google Cloud Run. The collaboration integrates Anthropic’s Claude AI model with Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform, allowing anyone with an idea to create custom software.
Wow — Replit powers production routes on Zillow, which was built by a non-coder!! https://t.co/mgtDYLfbg6
— Amjad Masad (@amasad) November 22, 2024
How Zillow’s marketing team became software developers overnight
“We’re witnessing a transformation in how businesses create software solutions,” said Michele Catasta, Replit’s president, in an exclusive interview with VentureBeat. “Our platform is increasingly being adopted by teams across marketing, sales and operations who need custom solutions that pre-built software can’t provide.”
The initiative addresses the growing global developer shortage, expected to reach 4 million by 2025. Companies can now empower non-technical teams to build their own solutions rather than waiting for scarce developer resources.
Claude’s sophisticated approach to code generation sets this partnership apart. “Claude excels at producing clean, maintainable code while understanding complex systems across multiple languages and frameworks,” Michael Gerstenhaber, Anthropic’s product VP, told VentureBeat. “It approaches problems strategically, often stepping back to analyze the bigger picture rather than rushing to add code.”
Built 2 new internal systems for my team this week (leave requests/customer support) using code generated by Claude. Took me 1 day in total & saved us $5-10K in consultant costs. If an english/psychology grad like me can use code to build stuff, any wordcel can.
— Claire Lehmann (@clairlemon) February 7, 2025
How Replit, Anthropic and Google Cloud are making AI coding secure and scalable
Replit handles security and reliability concerns through Google Cloud’s enterprise infrastructure. “We’ve built our security framework on a foundation of enterprise-grade infrastructure through Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform,” Catasta said. “This allows us to offer accessible AI development tools while maintaining stringent security standards.”
The partnership demonstrates significant advances in AI capabilities. Claude 3.5 Sonnet improved performance on SWE-bench Verified from 33% to 49%, surpassing many publicly available models. These technical improvements enable users to create everything from personal productivity tools to enterprise applications.
Both companies emphasize AI augmentation over automation. “AI’s biggest potential is to augment and enhance human capabilities, rather than simply replacing them,” Gerstenhaber said. “For developer teams, Claude acts as an expert virtual assistant that can dramatically accelerate project timelines — reducing weeks-long projects to days.”
Almost paid $100/year for an app I needed (export 1000s of saved posts/bookmarks to a spreadsheet), then thought “hmm I wonder if Claude could make this for me.”
10 minutes later, the app works and I have a CSV of everything I’ve ever saved. Wild!
— Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) February 7, 2025
The future of software development: Replit’s AI puts coding in everyone’s hands
Replit’s tools could transform who gets to build and sell software. A teenager in rural India recently created an app using just their smartphone, earned enough to buy their first laptop, and now builds software for companies worldwide. Stories like this suggest a future where anyone with an internet connection can turn their ideas into working software — regardless of their technical background or location.
Challenges persist. The platform must balance accessibility with code quality and security while ensuring AI-generated solutions remain maintainable and scalable. Success could establish new standards for custom software development in the AI era.
The global custom software development market will reach more than $700 billion by 2028, according to industry analysts. Replit’s AI-powered approach could determine who participates in this expanding market.
Early results show promise. Companies have built their own employee time-off trackers and help-desk systems within days, tasks that previously took months of development. Some independent developers have created and launched new applications using just their phones, showing how the platform makes software development accessible to more people.
In an industry known for high barriers to entry, this partnership between Replit, Anthropic and Google Cloud opens software development to anyone with an idea. The implications extend beyond traditional technology companies to reshape how businesses across industries build and deploy custom solutions.
The next billion software creators may not know how to code — and that might be exactly the point.
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