The Experience Economy of Software

The role and value of software is changing.

We are approaching a threshold in computing - one in which large language models, autonomous agents, and MCP or web-connected systems will allow anyone to access and execute any digital function, across any dataset or product, with a simple prompt.

The technical layer of software is becoming ambient and commoditised. General-purpose interfaces will enable us to perform any task, in the modality of our choice.

The purpose of software will no longer be about providing capability. It will be about curating it.

From Tools to Experiences.

As users, we often rely on our tools to prescribe what we want and need from them. We don’t always want (or know what to want) to select, configure, or compose.

The reason we pay for Linear to manage our projects is not because we can’t manage our projects differently. The reason why we adopt Notion for organising our thoughts is not because there are no other note taking applications in existence.

We choose to use and pay for software that enables us to execute in the most effective, efficient, and delightful way. Linear and Notion are valuable not because of the functionality they enable, but because of the experiences they render.

Well curated software experiences simplify complexity, reveal the essential, and guide you through interactions. They expose us to the right ideas, capabilities, and options, even ones we didn’t know we needed. They reduce the burden of choice, and make design decisions on our behalf.

What matters in the experience economy of software is not building the most features, but crafting the right features, for the right users, in the right context.

From Technology to Interfaces.

In the experience economy of software, the interface is the product.

Software is no longer defined by the functionality it provides, but by the way it provides it.

The best software will be intuitive to interact with, coherently presented, and aesthetically beautiful.

The value of the experience will be defined by the quality of its design.

Purpose-built workflows will have an advantage. Teams that obsess over details will stand out.

Intentionality, taste, and craft will be necessary to differentiate.

From Builders to Curators.

In addition to the role and value of software changing, the cost and complexity of software creation is collapsing.

Now that “anyone can cook”, the experience layer of software will be even more important to justify its premium.

We can follow recipes to make a meal at home, but will pay to visit restaurants that make our experiences around our meals better. We trust the chefs to select the right ingredients, prepare them in the right way, and present them in a way that feels right to us.

We attribute value not only to the food, but also to the environment in which it is served.

The best software will feel less like tools, and more like a place we go to - and want to spend time in.

Value shifts from function to form.
Software builders become experience curators.

Experience-as-a-Software.

To extend the restaurant analogy further, users will choose to engage with different experiences according to their context, goals, and preferences:

Fast Casual - Instant apps and DIY feature bars, accessible and efficient.

Mass Chain - Generic software, standardised and ubiquitous.

Boutique - Carefully crafted products, opinionated and focused.

Flagship - Signature feature menu and styles, branded and distinguished.

Pop-up - Limited edition interfaces, dynamic and ephemeral.

etc.

Software companies might focus on perfecting a single experience, or create a portfolio of different types of experiences to cover more use cases and penetrate new markets.

This could manifest as a diverse offering of user interfaces, or a variety of curated feature sets.

Once AI capabilities are advanced enough, these experiences may adapt in real-time based on user intent.

Software experience curators will define the feature defaults, brand guidelines, and design system. They will control what AI can change and cannot change.

The New Craft of Software.

In a world in which AI grants us access to infinite possibilities, the promise of great software becomes intentional constraint.

We will use software not for the code, the function, or the screen - it will be a way of choosing what matters to us.

What will define the craft of software will be judgement, intentionality, design, and focus.

Software will not be about enabling more, but enabling what is right.

“exactly what you need, nothing you don’t”