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I would pay for one app/service that does 80% of what all other apps/services do. One app which I can use to sell things, buy things, send messages, review thi

I would pay for one app/service that does 80% of what all other apps/services do. One app which I can use to sell things, buy things, send messages, review things, control things, get notifications, track my health, learn things, etc. This doesn't seem like something that would be too hard to do, considering that all apps pretty much do the same things. But that would make people's life so much better.

prmph 11y ago
I think this is a major challenge facing software technology now. Seems to be related to my question at: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10883322 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10883322 One way to solve this is to create a modular super-app for which developers can write components. This is much more than just the idea of plug-ins or extensions, because the super-app will be built from the ground up, and at various layers, to be highly modular, which almost every aspect being replaceable with user-chosen components. Also, the basic structure of the app and the its extension points cannot be changed unless by majority vote of registered users. For example, imagine a task super-app. The user should be able to choose from various competing workflows, UIs, or 3rd-party integrations. These components could be purchased outright from a gallery, subscribed to, or paid per use. So if I have a little idea about how to improve todo lists, I don't have to build an entire app from scratch to do it, I can just define a UI flow.
- insoluble 11y ago
  > One way to solve this is to create a modular super-app for which developers can write components I am pretty sure they call this an operating system. Moreover, most operating systems do provide built-in or pre-installed functionality, such as for scheduling, messenging, and note-taking.
  - prmph 11y ago
    Ok, but most consumers have no stomach to go mucking around with OS components. The modularity of OSs is at too technical a level. And most third-party apps are trying to solve slightly different issues, with lots of overlap in functionality. There are no well-defined, standardized extensibility points are needed In any case, if I were to write an app for any OS, I still have to think about authentication, UI, storage, etc. There is no tight environment where I can just submit a more performant file sorting algorithm, for example, and be paid by users who choose to use that in the OS. That is the idea.
EvanPlaice 11y ago
The DevOps approach: Just write a Slack plugin for all those things, if they don't already exist (they totally do tho). /s In all seriousness. Communication IS the baseline requirement for the super-app you speak of. The next requirement is making the platform talk to any data source. Slack does both of these things surprisingly well. Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NST3u-GjjFw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NST3u-GjjFw
spdustin 11y ago
You mean... A web browser? Or a virtual assistant? Not meant to be sarcastic, honestly. I just can't imagine what your dream app would actually do that isn't done by a web browser or a virtual assistant.

prmph 11y ago

I think this is a major challenge facing software technology now. Seems to be related to my question at: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10883322 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10883322 One way to solve this is to create a modular super-app for which developers can write components. This is much more than just the idea of plug-ins or extensions, because the super-app will be built from the ground up, and at various layers, to be highly modular, which almost every aspect being replaceable with user-chosen components. Also, the basic structure of the app and the its extension points cannot be changed unless by majority vote of registered users. For example, imagine a task super-app. The user should be able to choose from various competing workflows, UIs, or 3rd-party integrations. These components could be purchased outright from a gallery, subscribed to, or paid per use. So if I have a little idea about how to improve todo lists, I don't have to build an entire app from scratch to do it, I can just define a UI flow.

insoluble 11y ago
> One way to solve this is to create a modular super-app for which developers can write components I am pretty sure they call this an operating system. Moreover, most operating systems do provide built-in or pre-installed functionality, such as for scheduling, messenging, and note-taking.
- prmph 11y ago
  Ok, but most consumers have no stomach to go mucking around with OS components. The modularity of OSs is at too technical a level. And most third-party apps are trying to solve slightly different issues, with lots of overlap in functionality. There are no well-defined, standardized extensibility points are needed In any case, if I were to write an app for any OS, I still have to think about authentication, UI, storage, etc. There is no tight environment where I can just submit a more performant file sorting algorithm, for example, and be paid by users who choose to use that in the OS. That is the idea.

EvanPlaice 11y ago

The DevOps approach: Just write a Slack plugin for all those things, if they don't already exist (they totally do tho). /s In all seriousness. Communication IS the baseline requirement for the super-app you speak of. The next requirement is making the platform talk to any data source. Slack does both of these things surprisingly well. Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NST3u-GjjFw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NST3u-GjjFw

spdustin 11y ago

You mean... A web browser? Or a virtual assistant? Not meant to be sarcastic, honestly. I just can't imagine what your dream app would actually do that isn't done by a web browser or a virtual assistant.