David Pierce

And so if you're a software company, you basically have one of two options. You can either build a piece of software that is so unbelievably specific and opinionated that you literally can't use it any other way than that. Seriously. And this is like a non-crazy way to build software that there is literally only one way to use it. It's not that there's even right or wrong ways.

There's literally only one way to use it. And you can actually get a pretty long way doing that because people will hate it, but they will use it correctly because it's the only way to use it. or what you end up trying to do, and this is, over time, the much more enticing and popular path, but also the path to ruin, is you try to be everything to everyone all the time.

There's literally only one way to use it. And you can actually get a pretty long way doing that because people will hate it, but they will use it correctly because it's the only way to use it. or what you end up trying to do, and this is, over time, the much more enticing and popular path, but also the path to ruin, is you try to be everything to everyone all the time.

There's literally only one way to use it. And you can actually get a pretty long way doing that because people will hate it, but they will use it correctly because it's the only way to use it. or what you end up trying to do, and this is, over time, the much more enticing and popular path, but also the path to ruin, is you try to be everything to everyone all the time.

And you say, okay, your boss wants to use this piece of software and they wanna use it this way. That's insane, but your boss is the one who pays for this. And so you have to do it because your boss said so. But what we're gonna give you is a million other buttons and knobs to press and twist so that maybe you'll find the thing that you like.

And you say, okay, your boss wants to use this piece of software and they wanna use it this way. That's insane, but your boss is the one who pays for this. And so you have to do it because your boss said so. But what we're gonna give you is a million other buttons and knobs to press and twist so that maybe you'll find the thing that you like.

And you say, okay, your boss wants to use this piece of software and they wanna use it this way. That's insane, but your boss is the one who pays for this. And so you have to do it because your boss said so. But what we're gonna give you is a million other buttons and knobs to press and twist so that maybe you'll find the thing that you like.

And the hope is you can build this sort of great denominator software across everything. And that's how you build Microsoft Word. And eventually it gets away from you, right? You build the thing that does everything to everybody. And then all of a sudden it becomes this like overwhelming mess of a piece of software and it all falls apart. but those are your only two moves.

And the hope is you can build this sort of great denominator software across everything. And that's how you build Microsoft Word. And eventually it gets away from you, right? You build the thing that does everything to everybody. And then all of a sudden it becomes this like overwhelming mess of a piece of software and it all falls apart. but those are your only two moves.

And the hope is you can build this sort of great denominator software across everything. And that's how you build Microsoft Word. And eventually it gets away from you, right? You build the thing that does everything to everybody. And then all of a sudden it becomes this like overwhelming mess of a piece of software and it all falls apart. but those are your only two moves.

And so like, I've really, I've come to feel for these companies over time because you have IT managers who buy a lot of the software, who want one thing. You have bosses who demand a lot of the software, who want something completely different.

And so like, I've really, I've come to feel for these companies over time because you have IT managers who buy a lot of the software, who want one thing. You have bosses who demand a lot of the software, who want something completely different.

And so like, I've really, I've come to feel for these companies over time because you have IT managers who buy a lot of the software, who want one thing. You have bosses who demand a lot of the software, who want something completely different.

And then you have the people who actually have to use this software all day, every day, who are having this, A, foisted upon them and B, dictated to them how they have to use it. I don't know that it's even possible to build something that makes all three of those groups happy. I certainly have not seen one that seems like it works for everybody.

And then you have the people who actually have to use this software all day, every day, who are having this, A, foisted upon them and B, dictated to them how they have to use it. I don't know that it's even possible to build something that makes all three of those groups happy. I certainly have not seen one that seems like it works for everybody.

And then you have the people who actually have to use this software all day, every day, who are having this, A, foisted upon them and B, dictated to them how they have to use it. I don't know that it's even possible to build something that makes all three of those groups happy. I certainly have not seen one that seems like it works for everybody.

It's a strange overlap right now. Actually, there was a long period of time where the bundlers were winning. And you would start, like you said, with one need. And you would say, okay, if you're MailChimp, we're going to make it really easy for you to email a lot of people. And then...

It's a strange overlap right now. Actually, there was a long period of time where the bundlers were winning. And you would start, like you said, with one need. And you would say, okay, if you're MailChimp, we're going to make it really easy for you to email a lot of people. And then...

It's a strange overlap right now. Actually, there was a long period of time where the bundlers were winning. And you would start, like you said, with one need. And you would say, okay, if you're MailChimp, we're going to make it really easy for you to email a lot of people. And then...

You see the thing that people leave MailChimp for during their day and you're like, well, we could just build that thing. We can build better CRM software so that you don't have to go elsewhere to make the stuff in order to send it to your emails. And then you just sort of slowly build out from there.