Many articles are published on creating software.
From architecture to frameworks, from performance to user experience - anything you would like to consider when designing software is easily reachable.
But what has been in my mind recently is the following paradox:
Making software has become easier, but selecting tools has become harder.
In an era of:
Easy availability of software tools
Rapid innovation cycles
Wide range of choices
I find myself repeating the following actions every time I am trying to select a tool: searching Google for keywords, opening up 10 tabs, going through Reddit threads, and still feeling like I must explore even further...
And why do I feel this way? Because tools are everywhere!
Previously, for developers and indies, the problem was technical.
Today, the problem can be articulated more like this: What makes your offering known? How do users discover other offerings? Where do applications live online?
Native applications have an App Store. Browser add-ons can be found via the Chrome Web Store.
But what about web apps? They mostly rely on search, social media, or luck.
Rather than searching for the “perfect tool,” I have been changing my approach to something more like browsing.
That’s how I came across websites which aim to structure and categorize the plethora of available online apps to make them more readily discoverable, such as app stores for web-based services. An example can be found at Unstore.
There’s not much out there yet, but it got me thinking about where the issue lies: it’s not the lack of tools, it’s finding them.
When it comes to building something today, there is much more to it than just the product.
Things like: How is it discovered? How can the gap be bridged between interest and use? Does it rely solely on search and algorithms?
Even the best products can go unnoticed without the proper discovery layer.
For too long, we have been obsessed with how we construct.
Now may well be the time to pay equal attention to the search process.
I think the biggest reason is that building tools is now highly democratized, while evaluating them still requires experience and long-term context.
Today, anyone can launch a framework, AI tool, SaaS product, or open-source library in weeks. The barrier to creation has dropped dramatically thanks to cloud platforms, AI coding assistants, templates, and low-code ecosystems.
But choosing the right tool is different from simply finding a working one. Selection depends on factors that are difficult to measure upfront:
Building software is easier today because AI and low-code platforms like GenCodex low code builder help developers create apps faster than ever.
But choosing the right tool has become harder because there are now too many options. Every platform promises speed, scalability, and AI features yet the real challenge is finding what actually fits your long-term goals, team, and workflow.
Today, the hardest part is often not building the product it’s making the right technology decisions.
Varsha
Writing about AI, SaaS, and Modern Product Development
Finding the right tool is harder because you’re not just choosing features. You’re choosing tradeoffs, learning curve, team fit, cost, integrations, and whether it will still make sense six months later.