The latest ‘I Made a Useful Thing’ thread offers a fascinating glimpse into the state of indie development in early 2026. Browsing through this week’s submissions, a clear trend emerges: the barrier to entry for building sophisticated software has effectively collapsed.
We are seeing a surge in ‘micro-SaaS’ products and complex browser extensions built entirely by solo developers or small teams within days, not months. This speed is largely attributed to the prevalence of advanced AI coding assistants. The projects highlighted this week range from niche productivity automations to surprisingly polished local-first AI tools.
However, creativity remains the differentiator. While the tech stack is becoming commoditized, the most upvoted projects aren’t just technically impressive; they solve specific, often mundane, human problems with extreme elegance. This thread serves as proof that in an era of AI abundance, unique problem-solving is the ultimate currency.
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