Personal Software

Personal computers became mainstream in the 90s. Yet in a strange twist, the software they ended up running wasn’t very personal at all.

Sure, you could bring the machine home, plug it in, and have your very own computer. But the programs inside—the operating systems, the massive office suites—were built for everyone. It was one-size-fits-all software.

Of course, the power users could hack and customize their machine. But most computer users were stuck using software stuffed with features they didn’t need.

If you wanted to do one small thing—say, convert text from one format to another—you were forced to wade through hundreds of menus and options irrelevant to your particular need. Ironically, this was personal computing without the personal.

Single-use software

AI has changed our relationship with software.

Software can now adapt to you, not the other way around. Better yet, AI is making it possible for anyone, not just developers, to create single-use or custom applications.

Think about it: if you’re a typical computer user, there used to be a big hurdle to “building software.” You had to learn a programming language, deal with complex tools, figure out how to actually get the site online. Even worse, dealing with mobile app stores.

We’re now seeing a world where you can build your ideas. Sometimes these apps, which precisely solve your own problems, are easier to create than anything you could purchase off the shelf.

For example, I recently became a father. My wife and I wanted to track how the baby was sleeping and eating. We didn’t need user profiles, badges, subscription tiers, or any other extra features. Why not build our own personal software?

This might start with developers. But within the next decade, millions of people will be able to create software. Designers, marketers, product mangers, and others will be the first. They will be able to build their own ideas.

Home-cooked applications

Creating software is starting to resemble cooking.

If you want a meal just for yourself—maybe you prefer your eggs a particular way—you can do that without needing a professional chef. The results might not compare to a top restaurant, but that’s not the point.

Your home-cooked software is exactly what you need, without extra fuss or cost. And each time you build something personal, you gain a deeper appreciation for the craft of creating software.

Does that mean frontend development or design is dead? No, not at all.

The more that build software, the more who will appreciate using great software. Cooking at home makes you appreciate going out to eat.

The personal software era

What if making single-use apps were 10x easier than today? 100x easier?

You wouldn’t search “best chrome extensions for note taking”. You would work with AI. In five minutes, you’d have something that works exactly how you want.

As tools improve and become more ubiquitous, everyone can cook. And once you start cooking, you might still dine out—perhaps even more—because now you truly appreciate how good a well-crafted meal can be.

We need more builders, not fewer. Because building fosters understanding. And as more people start making personal software, the bar for what counts as “great software” will inevitably rise.

We’ll see more innovations, more ideas, more glimpses of what’s possible when individuals have the freedom to solve their own problems. And if you’re just hacking something together for yourself, don’t worry if it’s not perfect.

That’s part of the fun. After all, it’s personal.