Software creation is moving toward zero cost, making code a weaker moat

Software creation is moving toward zero cost, putting more pressure on startups to win through speed, taste, distribution, and products people actually adopt. The code itself is becoming less of a moat.

Mike Vernal’s first in-depth interview in several years connects that future to his own path: early work with Mark Zuckerberg as Facebook pushed toward 1 billion users, then venture investing at Sequoia and startup backing through Conviction. The High Flyers Podcast released the interview on September 18, 2026.