By Jason Fried · world.hey.com · @jasonfried on X · LinkedIn
Jason Fried argues against the idea that AI will spark a bespoke software revolution where everyone builds their own custom tools. He notes that custom software already exists and is usually bloated because clients pay for it, and that enthusiasm for the idea mostly comes from people who make software. Most people tolerate computers rather than enjoy them, and small businesses want their problems solved, not another system to maintain. Fried concludes that giving everyone building tools does not turn everyone into a builder, since most people want the outcome without the responsibility. For product people, this is a useful reality check on assumptions about end-user creation and who actually wants to own software.
01Key takeaways
- Don't assume end users want to build or maintain their own software, even when tools get easier.
- Separate enthusiasm from the software-making community from the actual needs of non-technical customers.
- Customers mostly want outcomes like time saved or work removed, not another system to own.
- Custom software built for paying clients often ends up bloated and built for the wrong reasons.
- Ease of building does not remove the ongoing burden of maintaining critical systems.
02Key sections
- Bespoke software already exists
- Custom software has long been built by consultants and large firms, and it has typically turned out bloated and poorly designed because the paying client drives its shape.
- Enthusiasm comes from software makers
- The excitement about a custom software revolution is driven largely by people whose livelihood is building software, who echo each other online.
- Most people don't want to think about computers
- People use computers because they must, and given a choice they would rather not think about the technology at all.
- Small businesses want outcomes, not systems
- Accounting firms, logistics companies, and law firms want paperwork gone, routes optimized, and time freed up, not new critical systems to design and maintain.
- Tools don't create builders
- Access to powerful building tools does not make everyone a builder; a powerful excavator does not turn a homeowner into a contractor, and most people do not want the responsibility.
03From the post
“A bespoke software revolution? I don't buy it. It'll exist. It already exists. Small consultants and big consulting firms have made custom software for years. It almost always sucks. It’s bloated, confusing, and because the client pays, it’s built in all the wrong ways. Who’s excited about bespoke software? Software makers! Of course they're excited about building bespoke software —…”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.