Software Is Eating the World—Now It’s Coming for Coaching

In 2011, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen wrote a now-iconic essay titled "Why Software Is Eating the World." His central thesis? That software—scalable, adaptable, and data-rich—was not just transforming industries, but consuming them. Retail, media, transport, finance—one by one, sectors were being restructured around platforms, automation, and algorithms.

At the time, education was largely untouched. Today, that’s no longer true.

AI is entering the classroom—not to replace teachers, but to reshape how they grow.

At STAR21, we believe Starlight is part of that shift. Here's why.

From One-to-One to One-to-Many

Traditional coaching is a human-to-human process. One coach, one teacher, one conversation at a time. It’s valuable—but slow, expensive, and hard to scale.

Starlight uses AI to flip the model. A teacher uploads their lesson. In minutes, they receive feedback on their questioning, classroom dialogue, and areas for growth—without waiting for a colleague to observe or write a report.

This is Andreessen’s thesis in action: software turns scarcity into abundance.

The Unscalable Is Becoming Scalable

In the old world:

• Coaching required availability.

• Feedback required presence.

• Insight required time.

In the new world:

• Coaching can happen on demand.

• Feedback is generated in minutes.

• Insight is continuous, not episodic.

Starlight gives every teacher access to what was once reserved for the few—a high-quality lens on their teaching, delivered affordably and at scale.

Why Now? The Timing Is No Accident

Andreessen noted that every industry eventually hits a tipping point—where software becomes good enough, data becomes rich enough, and user habits shift just enough to allow mass adoption.

That’s education in 2025.

• 47.7% of UK teachers already use generative AI.

• CPD budgets are stretched, yet expectations are rising.

• Teachers want insight, not oversight.

• The infrastructure—cloud storage, voice-to-text, LLMs—is ready.

In short: the conditions are right for transformation.

What Software Eats, It Rebuilds

Let’s be clear: software doesn’t just eat industries. It rebuilds them.

Spotify didn’t just replace CDs—it gave listeners playlists, discovery, sharing, and freedom. Uber didn’t just digitise taxis—it redefined convenience, access, and trust through ratings and UX. And AI coaching platforms won’t just digitise feedback—they’ll give teachers agency, data, and time.

Starlight isn't about observation logs and tick boxes. It’s about giving teachers immediate access to their own professional development cycle, grounded in evidence and shaped by their goals.

The Human Layer Still Matters

Software eats inefficiency—not humanity.

Coaching still requires trust, relationships, dialogue. But with Starlight, the conversation starts sooner and goes deeper. The AI provides a mirror; the human coach brings interpretation, care, and context.

This is not about replacing mentors. It’s about making the insight scalable so that mentoring becomes more effective, more informed, and more available.

Conclusion: Software Is Eating the World—So Let’s Feed It Wisely

Marc Andreessen wasn’t wrong. Software is eating the world. But the real question is: what kind of world will it build in its place?

At STAR21, we believe in building one where teachers feel empowered, not judged. Where coaching is constant, not occasional. Where feedback is a tool for growth, not a lever for accountability.

And where every teacher—not just the fortunate few—gets the support they need to get better, every week.

Because when software eats the world, it’s up to us to make sure it feeds learning.

Adam Sturdee

Co-founder of Starlight | Assistant Headteacher | Coaching Enthusiast

www.starlightmentor.com