I've been building websites since the late 90s and early 2000s, starting with Microsoft FrontPage. It was basically one of the first no-code (or mostly low-code) website builders.
My first "professional" project was my parents' business website in 2001. Fun fact: I still maintain it today. Since then, I've built over 30 websites, from WordPress, headless CMS, Framer, and Webflow—and of course, pure HTML/CSS. I've done it all, from static FTP uploads to frameworks like Gatsby (back when it was still a thing) and Next.js.
No matter the approach, one truth always remained: building websites was a pain. Complexity—responsiveness, content management, SEO—grew faster than the tools meant to simplify it.
Until now. AI is changing the game. For the first time, technology is evolving faster than the layers of complexity we pile on top of it. Instead of writing code or clicking through endless menus, you just tell the AI what you want. By the way: that's how I built my personal website.
AI doesn't just make it easier to get a website; it makes it easier to get a good one, without knowing what SEO is, how to set up OG images, or why you should care.
Website builders like Webflow reduced technical friction, but replaced it with endless design decisions. Templates helped, until you realized they didn't quite fit your needs. And once you mastered the quirks of a platform, you were locked in.
That lock-in means handing over control of your most important marketing touchpoint to a company that can change the rules tomorrow. In the past, that trade-off—speed for independence—was unavoidable.
AI breaks this pattern: it's faster than builders, more flexible than frameworks, and this time, you own it.
After more than 20 years of coding, tweaking templates, and fighting with platforms, this is the first time it feels effortless. Building and moving websites will soon be easier and cheaper than ever. The fun is back. The freedom is back. And for the first time since FrontPage in the 90s, I'm genuinely excited about what's next.