Essay

Slow tools

Why the best software is built like a garden.

· 1 min read · craft, tools

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Why a garden

Software that lasts is tended, not shipped. A garden has seasons: planting, pruning, letting fields rest. The tools we build for people deserve the same patience.

What that looks like in practice

  • Ship the smallest useful thing and watch it for a season.
  • Prune features that nobody uses before adding new ones.
  • Write down why a decision was made, not only what was decided.

A closing note

Start by asking what the tool is for. Everything downstream is a consequence of that answer.

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