2000 dot com bubble
In 1999, major computer software would stop working because they only stored the last 2 digits of the year. The Y2K bug created high demand for programming skills to fix these softwares, increasing the overall valuation of software companies, especially the ones from the Internet. Suddenly this demand vanishes, causing the dot com bubble and blaming the web for it.
- Desktop applications
- Operating system
2008 housing bubble
Fintech 2.0 high demand for automatizing banks created high demand for programming skills, but the automations such as Mortgage Electronic Registration System couldn't verify frauds as good as a human being. The result was a bubble of junk bonds that burst and compromised the thrust on centralized institutions.
- Web
- Blockchain
2016 mobile app bubble
The aggressive strategy of acquisition of app companies led to exaggerated valuation compared to the revenue. Everybody wanted to build an app and strike it rich. One big concern was Facebook, but it was the small companies such as Snapchat that lost 80% of value.
- Mobile apps
- Frontend-Backend Webapps
2024 AI bubble
Cherry-picking of AI successful cases masks its flaky behavior. However, real world cases such as Deloitte's Australian broken report or DuoLingo's nonsense content points out that AI isn't ready for autonomous work despite being thirsty on water, energy and datacenters. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank reported in 2025 that never in history companies had spent so much money without a proven ROI.
- .ai Apps
- Vibe Code
