The Best Tool Is the One You Forget Exists
Every developer has a favorite tool.
Editors. Frameworks. Libraries. Languages.
The conversations never seem to end.
But I've noticed something over the years.
The best tools eventually disappear.
Not literally, of course.
They're still there.
You just stop thinking about them.
They become extensions of the work instead of obstacles standing in front of it.
A good interface doesn't ask for your attention.
It gives it back.
When I find myself fighting menus instead of solving problems, I know something has gone wrong.
That's one of the reasons I keep chasing simpler software.
Not because simple is fashionable.
Because simple lets me forget the software and remember what I was trying to create.
The goal isn't to build impressive tools.
It's to build tools that quietly get out of the way.
Still removing buttons whenever I can.