AI Makes Opinionated Software More Important Than Ever by Contrary
Really enjoyed this piece on “opinionated software” as coined by dhh:
“Some people argue software should be agnostic. They say it’s arrogant for developers to limit features or ignore feature requests. They say software should always be as flexible as possible. We think that’s bullshit. ****The best software has a vision. The best software takes sides. When someone uses software, they’re not just looking for features, they’re looking for an approach. They’re looking for a vision. Decide what your vision is and run with it.”
The best software, like Linux, has always been very opinionated. Strong opinions inform a vision, remove friction and reduce users’ cognitive load. The success of owner.com is a testament to this:
“All small business software before Owner was built to be maximally customizable. But Owner is optimizing for giving customers performance, not customizability. For example, restaurant owners can upload their logos and brand colors into the Owner website generator. But they can’t change the placement of CTA buttons, information hierarchy, or order conversion flow.”
While I hope AI tools will make opinionated software more ubiquitous, I fear that many great tools stop being opinionated because of revenue and investor pressure.