The Death of Feature-Rich: Why Less Is Everything

Chapter 4: The Modern Success Stack

"The death of feature-driven development: In 2025, the products winning aren't the ones with the most features - they're the ones that do one thing so well that users forgive everything else."

The book claims feature-rich platforms are dying, replaced by narrow tools that excel at single tasks. GitHub, Jira, Notion - all supposedly dinosaurs. But is radical simplification really the answer?

Questions for Debate:

The Simplification Trap

• Are we over-correcting from feature bloat to feature anemia?
• What happens when your "one thing" becomes commoditized by AI?
• Can narrow tools handle real-world complexity, or are they just demos?

The Integration Hell

• If everyone builds narrow tools, who handles integration?
• Are we replacing platform complexity with integration complexity?
• Does "composable" just mean "your problem to solve"?

The User Reality

• Do users actually want 50 narrow tools or one that does everything?
• Is the "Unix philosophy" practical in modern development?
• Are we designing for developers or for philosophy?

Share Your Experience:

The Minimalists:

• What narrow, focused tool replaced a feature-rich platform for you?
• How many single-purpose tools does your stack now contain?
• When has extreme focus delivered superior results?

The Platform Defenders:

• What problems can't be solved by narrow tools?
• When has feature richness been essential, not bloat?
• Can you share when switching to multiple narrow tools created more problems?

The Business Reality:

The Economics:

• Can narrow tools generate enough revenue to survive?
• Why would users pay for 10 tools vs. one platform?
• Is this sustainable or VC-subsidized fantasy?

The Competition:

• How do you differentiate when everyone can build narrow tools quickly?
• What stops bigger players from adding your "one thing" as a feature?
• Is there a moat in simplicity?

The Deeper Questions:

The Complexity Conservation Law:

• Does complexity actually disappear, or just move elsewhere?
• Who bears the cost of integration in a narrow-tool world?
• Are we making individual tools simpler by making systems more complex?

The Innovation Angle:

• Do narrow tools innovate faster than platforms?
• Can breakthrough features emerge from single-purpose thinking?
• Or does narrow focus create narrow thinking?

Your Take:

Is the future 1,000 perfect narrow tools or 10 good-enough platforms?

What's the hidden cost of radical simplification?