When Software Drifts, Build Your Own
nabraj.comI completely agree. So many tools started out minimal and good, then success hit and features kept stacking up. More menus, more settings until you need a manual just to find what you're looking for.
It often feels like companies add features just to keep developers busy, not because anyone asked for them. And with complexity comes bugs.
Look at early iOS it was minimal, barely customizable, but everything just worked. Clean and simple. Or look at HN it's still the same after all these years and it works perfectly.
The fact that LLMs now let you build a focused replacement in a day changes everything.
Agree on that. HN is a good example of resisting that pull. It hasn’t optimized for engagement loops.
Credit to @dang and the moderation team for keeping it that way.