When I talk to folks or browse around the interwebs I come away with the general impression that the only reason to build an application, no matter the type, is so that you can reach billions of users and turn your idea into the world’s next unicorn company. If this isn’t you ambition there isn’t point in even staring. This attitude seems most prevelant in the mobile application space. Mobile development was certainly the most recent gold rush and made many people rich. With everyone trying to emulate that the stores are packed with applications for just about everything.

I certainly have felt this way in the past. In the past year though, I have found myself on a different path. Software applications can be just like a home cooked meal. The apps I want to build now are meant to address very specific problems that are facing my family and immediate friends. I have no intention of mass adoption or gaining wealth as a result of developing them. Just providing a solution to a problem for people I care about. Just like sharing a dinner table to enjoy a favourite meal.

Last year I built a video sharing application for my son and his buddies to use. There is nothing fancy or new about this and there are lots of existing (at web scale) solutions already. The solution I was looking to provide was a safe space - this isn’t open to the public. Only my son and his friends are able to run the app. There are no random trolls interacting with the boys. There is no world provided random inappropriate content served to them either.

The boys are very happy with their personal media sharing system and the app will remain in closed circulation until there is a reason to turn it off.