Don't Generalize, Specialize; Or, How To Invent And Program Useful Web Applications

An application taken to its ultimate generic general purpose form, is a code editor, where the user interface becomes a programming language.

You can try to stop part way, like Access, Crystal Reports, HyperCard, Excel, or even Blender’s Geometry Nodes, but it won’t work.

You will always need a code editor, the user will always be forced into learning a language.

People only Lean Visual Basic for Applications, because those application are a requirement to do their job.

Excel, should be all the proof you need, there is just no way to create a spreadsheet without Cell Formulas.

Do not move towards general purpose applications, to be useful move in the opposite direction.

You are a composer, because you have rhythm, and if you listen to a song on repeat you will flow with it.

You are a musical genius, but there are no programs, that allow you to compose by opening a finished song customizer.

Here you change the beats per minute, chords, drums, hats, bass, and vocals, and adjust the song intro out-tro and other section and you get a unique song.

This is not a Digital Audio Workstation, that’s too much, this is a Song Builder.

Let me tell you why it is even more powerful, than you can imagine right now, because it has a randomize settings button.

One click, gets you a unique song, boom, in 3 seconds flat, you just generated a new workout song for the morning.

Right next to it, you have a generate album button, it will randomly reshuffle ten out of a thousand song presets.

You even get a unique album cover, generated or pre-generated with that machine learning stuff.

Tell me now, what took you longer.

Learning how to create a while new album, or unlearning this idea that you will need a Digital Audio Workstation, or a Tracker?

When you learn how to use a program faster, than unlearning complex ideas, you have a winning Application.

Give away one song per day for free, make the albums cost as much as you want.

A button, be it generate song, or generate album, is a sign of a useful application.

Instead of creating excel, create what people usually make with Excel, and let them customize it with a few clicks.

Thus, to create useful applications, you must move away from general purpose programs.

Towards specialized programs, that they can customize.

To test this idea out, I challenge you, to create a premium nature oriented noise machine.

This requires recording equipment, adventure, and patience, record rain, ocean, lake, birds, a thousand unique thunder sounds.

Create a website that randomly picks what plays, and let them click on icons to turn it down or up, or off.

While you are at it, record 12 hour long, high quality videos, as some people prefer an authentic symphony.

And if you are not interested in running such a tiny business, then auction it off the moment you put it together.

And start working on the next little thing, for auction, and if they don’t sell for much…

Know that it is a priceless portfolio item and success story, a portfolio of ten such lite things is priceless.

Specialize, don’t generalize.