Someone Behind the Software

Software products will begin to feel more personal and less generic as creators prioritize their unique vision.

Karri Saarinen argues that software products should reflect the perspectives and experiences of their creators, rather than being treated as factory outputs. He believes that genuine product character, or "soul," emerges from the makers' intuition, shaped by experience and customer interaction, which guides decisions beyond mere process or data. Saarinen observes a recent trend of products becoming "messy" and additive, suggesting this stems from a focus on technological capability and ease of adding features over unified design and core problem-solving. He posits that the increasing automation of software development with agents, leading to independent changes, dilutes this creator perspective. Saarinen hopes that the ease of making software will instead allow creators more freedom to develop and follow unique perspectives, shaping cohesive products with a discernible human touch.

Saarinen critiques the industry's tendency to view software development as a mechanical process, especially with the rise of AI agents automating pipelines. He contrasts this with the value of human intuition, developed through experience, in shaping a product's "soul." This perspective suggests that the distinctiveness of software will increasingly depend on the clarity and conviction of the creators' underlying viewpoint, rather than the efficiency of its production.

The trend towards additive feature development and fragmented creation by agents risks creating products that are functionally capable but lack cohesive design and user experience. This analysis implies that companies prioritizing a unified vision and deep customer understanding will stand out, while those focused solely on expanding feature sets may produce increasingly indistinguishable offerings.