The brands we associate with "startups" are no longer startups. Dropbox is 16 years old, Airbnb is 15, and Pinterest is 13. At this point, they have either transformed into large enterprises, been sold off, or ceased operations altogether.
The future of product development is defined by a newer generation of companies launched in the 2020s. Let's explore what sets them apart.
Emphasizing joy
When comparing the original Twitter for iPad or Facebook Paper with the most recent versions, it is evident that flat design made it easier for developers to create decent-looking apps, but sacrificed playfulness. Larger companies build unified, scalable design systems for multiple platforms. Achieving playfulness is hardly their goal now, and the craftsmanship doesn’t scale well.
https://youtu.be/MsmPjQfsdO4?embedable=true
https://youtu.be/Ne2uHFi_e_M?embedable=true
However, small design details, such as the shredding animation in Passbook, the audiotape in Apple Podcasts, or the page-turning animation in Apple Books, contribute to the overall identity of the app and evoke certain emotions. Although some may view these details as over-the-top, they make the software more than just a tool and elevate it to the realm of art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRxlFr5gQy0&embedable=true
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPaPg222tf4&embedable=true
As John Gruber recently put it,
Either you know that software can be art, and often should be, or you think what I’m talking about here is akin to astrology.”
Steve Jobs echoed this in 2011:
It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.
Some of my favorite apps lately are ‘digital toys’ with fun, quirky features. Examples include Arc, a fresh take on browsers, Amie, a calendar that mentions joy at the landing page, intimate social apps like Airbuds and Locket, and Zenly, a geo-based messaging app.
Even though Snap announced the shutdown of Zenly last August, it still hasn't found a popular replacement. Its attention to detail still seems unmatched by the competition: it’s curious to read how the team prioritized the ‘wtf’ factor from the beginning.
Another example of fun design is ‘chaotic redesigns,’ a recent Twitter trend. This trend appears to be a useful thought exercise in considering people's emotions about modern software and how the concepts that popular products use can be taken to the point of absurdity.
https://twitter.com/theshanelevine/status/1619743752029114368?embedable=true
Generative design is likely to have a significant impact on the UI space. The world only needs so many takes on the checkout or login page, and neural networks can review more references than a designer can in a lifetime. Would craft and the ability to evoke emotions from the user become a differentiator once again, along with the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes?
https://www.usegalileo.ai/?embedable=true
Building in public
Yuhki Yamashita, Figma’s CPO, wrote an article on how ‘work in progress’ is now the norm, thanks to the open collaboration in Figma and Google Docs and constant iterations. It's crucial to ask for feedback on prototypes and create community betas to adapt to ongoing feedback.
https://twitter.com/jakub_swiadek/status/1636160133393956866?embedable=true
The Browser Company is an excellent example of embracing this philosophy by sharing sneak peeks into their thinking process via YouTube, TikTok, and voice memos podcasts. Similarly, the Nothing Technology team shares their thinking and even do competitor reviews.
https://youtu.be/Xy7FQM10wF4?embedable=true
Generative content could replace current forms of content marketing, such as customer stories and blogs. To stay relevant, companies must build in public, connect with their audience beyond support requests and forums, and iterate even before the first version of a feature goes live. This can include direct Twitter chats or public Discord and Slack groups.
https://youtu.be/Qct6LKbneKQ?embedable=true
Smaller teams, or no team at all
In recent years, there has been a trend towards increased accessibility of building blocks for products: open-source libraries, hosting solutions, and easy-to-integrate payment processors. Companies like Notion and Mojang achieved billion-dollar valuations with 50 employees or less.
Generative content can further simplify things for small and one-man teams. Pieter Levels launched multiple profitable products without the need for large teams. He even documented his learnings in a book that he published and sold without the help of a team.
https://youtu.be/6reLWfFNer0?embedable=true
If the trend continues, work may become a means of self-expression for many. Work and play will become even more intertwined, as predicted in a recent essay by Packy McCormick:
I predicted that “Within two decades, we will have multiple trillion-plus dollar publicly traded entities with just one full-time employee, the founder.” If you believe the AI accelerationists, or even the AI safety folks, I may have been too conservative.
We live in a world in which fewer and fewer people need to work to meet humanity’s basic survival needs. (...) I get to spend my days reading, having conversations with really smart people, making “art,” and writing. (...) It’s a modern aristocratic life, wrapped in a work game.
Companies could also reduce their teams to increase productivity. This approach is currently being tested by 37signals, the makers of Basecamp and Hey. If a project cannot be completed by two people, they will simplify it until it can be. In addition, team members wear multiple hats, with designers capable of developing the prototypes themselves.
Being more flexible, and more opinionated
With a smaller team and a niche focus, businesses can prioritize values such as sustainability, zero carbon emissions, privacy, tracking-free solutions, or charitable donations. Examples of such products include Overcast, a podcast client for iOS, and Offscreen Magazine.
Companies can have unique working styles as well. Arc and 37signals wrote entire manifestos to describe their processes, and Gumroad took another unconventional approach, using just the async communication, and allowing their team to combine multiple jobs or projects.
https://youtu.be/Nw9b1epsu9Q?embedable=true
As building products becomes easier, more people can launch their own products, leading to a greater variety. Consumers will be able to choose products that align with their values, driving companies to become more transparent and better reflect the principles of their founders.
Even large corporations will have to become more agile and adaptable to keep up, reducing their sales and operations departments to focus on innovation and quickly adapting to user needs.
The one-size-fits-all approach is no longer effective, whether in fashion, content production, or workplace design. By delegating trivial tasks, people will bring more flexibility into their lives, providing more time to reflect on what is important for them.