Pattern: Programming Language Lock-In Dissolving — Coding Agents Make Full-Stack Rewrites Economically Viable

Simon Willison·medium signal

Simon Willison documents a company that used coding agents to rewrite both their iPhone and Android apps to React Native, treating it as a reversible bet — if React Native doesn't work out, they'll port back to native. Mitchell Hashimoto's observation that Bun demonstrated the ability to rewrite in a different language within weeks reinforces the thesis. Programming language choice is shifting from a decade-long commitment to an architectural decision you can revisit quarterly.