The Era of (Good) Personal Software Has Arrived

Aug 07, 2026 03:16 AM - 2 hours ago 1

It Started pinch Slop

A fewer years agone arsenic the AI gyration (or not) took hold, group started espousing the thought that anyone would beryllium capable to constitute their ain package conscionable really they want it. Every small point would beryllium customized conscionable really they want and it would unlock a caller era of package design.

What starting really looked for illustration was NextJS apps spammed to each corners of the net pinch the aforesaid creation and a bunch of mediocre implementation. The app shop exploded pinch bare-bones apps that ne'er near the crushed and each looked for illustration the aforesaid postulation of SwiftUI. But models sewage better, arsenic location was truthful overmuch economical inducement to do. A batch of engineers took the incorrect awesome and didn't return a existent soul look to determine what they did aliases didn't for illustration astir thing and what they really wanted retired of their toolbox.

Toast!

After coming backmost from a grueling paternity leave, immoderate spark successful maine realized each the IDEs that I had utilized complete time, I didn't really usage their full characteristic set. I didn't usage the git type control. I didn't usage the built-in terminal. I didn't, I didn't I didn't. And complete my leave, AI coding models sewage good. Like really good.

So I paid for a $20 claude subscription and collapsed into what I wanted. An "IDE" that had things for illustration syntax highlighting, record icons, lsp support, a record tree. And nary matter really I fiddled pinch vim, it was ne'er elemental and elegant to make it do what I wanted. And I would beryllium its customer. Because it was the acquisition I wanted. I've worked connected it, added caller features, gotten my first unfastened root rumor request! And now I'm sitting here, penning this blog station utilizing a (what I consider) afloat featured IDE I built to constitute this post.

At the extremity of the day, I'm not really concerned if I get users (though I'd emotion if I did and if this filled a niche that group wanted). I'm happy pinch the package I've built and find it fulfilling to really perceive to my gut to intuit what I want successful this instrumentality I will astir apt usage astatine activity for a bully chunk of my career. Because I'll apt ever beryllium looking astatine files and text connected my computer. And if I am, this is conscionable the acquisition I want.

Different

The thought personification writes package to capable the niche isn't new. Casey Liss is doing it pinch CallSheet because IMDB sucks butt. The quality is that I'm doing it pinch 2 twins, a location to support up with, and a afloat clip job. Building the package I want correct now wouldn't beryllium imaginable without LLMs because the clip committedness wouldn't beryllium a priority. But if I tin person claude/gpt-5/deepseek-flash activity connected a problem while I measurement a measurement to beryllium pinch my family. Or moreover better, if it's made disposable truthful I tin matter it from the couch.

I don't deliberation everyone will abruptly beryllium willing successful designing their ain software, mostly because they're not willing aliases whats retired their fills that niche. I dream different group usage it because moreover amongst package developers, folks whitethorn not beryllium willing successful spending their clip aliases money connected pursuing this idea. But they whitethorn beryllium willing successful picking it up to try.