Probably less, actually.
Most of what passes for "software" these days is basically some niche hardcoded workflow that falls to pieces if you try to do anything even the slightest bit different.
Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
11–20 of 29 posts
Re: Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
#12It's not rare that I wish there were software that would do something, but it doesn't exist or what does exist is terrible. So yes, there is at least some need and demand for more software.
Why not code it yourself - fitting you personal needs (if there is no market for that)?
Sometimes I do, but I have a long list of projects and don't have time to implement everything I need myself.
Re: Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
#13[dead]
Re: Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
#14There is likely 2-orders of magnitude demand for more software than currently exists. Speaking for myself, I have so many different apps I would like to have but would not be commercially viable to build because the problem it solves is very specific to my circumstance. The ROI now makes sense now that I can spin up Claude Code and build apps for these use cases in an a couple of hours so I have a suite of apps that are really just for me.
Re: Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
#15we need more organic food and gardens to be honest but ya also software
Re: Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
#16It's not rare that I wish there were software that would do something, but it doesn't exist or what does exist is terrible. So yes, there is at least some need and demand for more software.
Why not code it yourself - fitting you personal needs (if there is no market for that)?
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Re: Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
#17Re: Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
#18[dead]
Re: Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
#19Customers want a hole in the wall, not drill , drill is just one of the tool that can make the hole happen (a manual hammer works too but too time consuming and less accuracy)
Software is just one of the ways for users to achieve their desired outcome (eg: keeping track of business expenses / flow etc) , excel can do it, but some other software might make it easier than excel, with better UI etc.
If you want to succeed in making software, study the users workflow rigorously. "Users don't love software, users tolerate software to achieve the outcome they want"
Re: Ask HN: Does the World need more software?
#20It's been more than 80 years since the publication of "As we may think"[1,2], which called for the Memex, which we've discussed here at length.
We still don't have a Memex. We got close once.
We also don't have capability based operating systems in daily use.
There's a ton of software we still don't have, and need.
[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1945/07/as-we-m...
[2] https://worrydream.com/refs/Bush%20-%20As%20We%20May%20Think...