Why Does It Feel Like There's No Great New Software Anymore? A Deep Dive
Users feel great new software is scarce, but it's a failure of discovery mechanisms, not a halt in innovation.
Starting from a Hacker News thread, the article explores why people feel great new software is increasingly rare. The author argues the core issue is visibility: big tech monopolizes distribution, drowning out indie developers' best work. As the definition of "good software" shifts from features to growth hacking, non-viral products fade away. App store algorithmic monopoly, subscription fatigue, and community fragmentation are three structural barriers. The article suggests returning to niche communities, using open-source alternatives, and searching actively instead of passively accepting recommendations.
Open the app store, and the charts seem forever dominated by the same few giants; on social media, people reminisce about the "golden age" of a decade ago. A recent Hacker News thread, Where is all the new, good software?, struck a nerve for many: Have we really stopped building good software? Or is the way we find good software what's broken?
The Disappearing "Good Software": Illusion or Reality?
The question seems simple but defies a satisfying answer. On one hand, we're surrounded by subscription models, AI wrappers, and ad-stuffed "modern software"; on the other, open-source communities and indie developers have quietly kept producing excellent tools.
The core of the contradiction is visibility. Big tech controls distribution channels and traffic gateways. Their products aren't necessarily the best, but they're always the easiest to reach. Truly interesting, innovative small software often lacks marketing budgets and gets drowned in the ocean of information. The "software drought" we feel is, at its root, a failure of discovery mechanisms.
Hacker News is a tech community operated by startup incubator Y Combinator, known for high-quality technical discussions and news aggregation. Since launching in 2007, it has been a key entry point for developers and founders to keep up with industry trends. Its post titles are usually concise and direct, and its comment sections often spark deep conversations. The Where is all the new, good software? thread mentioned above is a typical HN post—it uses an open-ended question to invite community members to share their views, reflecting the tech community's collective reflection on industry trends. HN's voting mechanism and user base (early on skewed toward Silicon Valley tech elites) give its discussions some agenda-setting significance, but it's also often criticized as an "echo chamber," with topics easily influenced by a small number of highly active users.
Have the Standards for "Good Software" Changed?
Looking back at software history, every era has defined "good software" differently.
From Features to Experience to Business Model
- Desktop era: Good software meant powerful, stable features—think early Photoshop or Winamp.
- Web 2.0 era: Good software meant collaboration and social interaction—think Google Docs or Flickr.
- Mobile era: Good software meant simple and addictive—think Instagram or WhatsApp.
- AI era: Good software means intelligent and automated, but it also brings privacy and dependency issues.
When the standard for "good" shifted from "solving problems" to "growth hacking," software that genuinely refined its product without chasing viral spread naturally faded from the mainstream.
Three Structural Reasons New Software Gets Buried
1. Monopoly of Distribution Channels
App store algorithm recommendations favor apps that have already succeeded. Editorial picks on the Apple App Store and Google Play are limited and increasingly commercialized. If indie developers want exposure, they either pay for user acquisition or rely on luck.
2. Subscription Fatigue and a Trust Crisis
Users are tired of "freemium" traps and endless subscriptions. Every time you download a new app, you face the "auto-charge after a 7-day free trial" routine. This fatigue creates an instinctive resistance to new software—people would rather stick with old standbys.
Freemium is a common business model where basic features are free and advanced features or ad removal require a paid subscription. It was first proposed by venture capitalist Fred Wilson in 2006 and later popularized by companies like Dropbox and Spotify. However, as more apps adopted the "auto-charge after a 7-day free trial" strategy, users gradually developed subscription fatigue—weariness and distrust toward the constant addition of monthly/annual charges. The problem with this model is that it often pressures users into paying by manufacturing anxiety (such as limiting storage space) rather than continuously delivering real value. As a result, users' default attitude toward new software shifted from "let me try it" to "here we go, another subscription trap," making them resistant even to genuinely innovative products—further worsening the difficulty of discovering good software.
3. Information Overload and Community Fragmentation
In the past, Hacker News and Product Hunt were key venues for discovering new software. But now, traffic on these platforms is declining too, or they've been infiltrated by PR firms. The genuinely good stuff is scattered across personal blogs, Mastodon, and Discord groups, hard for ordinary users to find.
How to Rediscover "Great New Software"?
Complaining is pointless; action has value. Here are some proven effective strategies:
Return to Niche Communities and Curators
- Follow indie developer blogs: Many developers share their building journey and product updates.
- Join vertical Discord/Telegram groups: That's often where the most authentic recommendations are.
- Subscribe to human-curated newsletters: For example, weeklies focused on open-source tools or design tools.
Use Open-Source Alternatives to Force Innovation
When commercial software becomes bloated, open-source communities often offer lighter, more user-respecting alternatives. For example, replace Notion with Obsidian, or WhatsApp with Signal. This isn't just about saving money—it's voting with your feet for a different software philosophy.
AlternativeTo and Slant are two community-driven platforms that help users discover software alternatives. AlternativeTo lets users suggest alternatives for specific software, listing pros, cons, and tags, covering desktop, mobile, and web apps. Its data is crowdsourced and maintained by users, making it suitable for finding "lighter or more privacy-friendly tools in the same category." Slant uses a Q&A format, such as "What's the best note-taking app?", ranking results through community votes and detailed reviews. The value of these two platforms lies in breaking the app stores' algorithmic recommendation monopoly, giving long-tail software a chance to be seen. However, their activity and recommendation quality depend on community participation; some entries may be outdated or contain shills, so cross-verify with multiple sources.
Hunt Actively, Don't Just Be Fed Passively
Don't rely solely on app store recommendation feeds. Try comparison sites like AlternativeTo, Slant, or explore trending projects directly on GitHub. A little time searching is more rewarding than ten minutes of scrolling short videos.
Conclusion: Good Software Never Disappeared—You Just Need to Be More Proactive
The very fact that Where is all the new, good software? was asked shows people still crave better digital tools. The answer is both pessimistic and optimistic: pessimistic in that mainstream channels really are stifling innovation; optimistic in that good software is still being created—it's just not in the spotlight.
As users, we can adjust how we discover software; as developers, we can choose more transparent ways to build and share. When both sides are a bit more proactive, that "golden age" of great new software may come back.
One-line Summary
Users feel great new software is scarce, but it's a failure of discovery mechanisms, not a halt in innovation.
Paragraph Summary
Starting from a Hacker News thread, the article explores why people feel there's less and less great new software. The author argues the core contradiction is visibility: big tech monopolizes distribution channels, drowning out excellent work by indie developers. Across eras, the definition of "good software" has evolved from features to experience to business models, and when the standard shifted to growth hacking, software that didn't chase viral spread faded from view. App store algorithmic monopoly, subscription fatigue and trust crisis, and information overload with community fragmentation are three structural barriers. The article suggests returning to niche communities, adopting open-source alternatives, and actively searching rather than passively accepting recommendations, emphasizing that good software never disappeared—we just need more proactive ways to find it.
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