'Just 3 lines of code' backfires: dev argues tools should expose complexity, not hide it

willcb · x · 2026-09-21

In a thread about PAW, willcb argues the system is genuinely complex and that hiding it behind 'just 3 lines of code' and 'like jev but local and open source' does the project a disservice. Researchers and developers want to understand the complexity; the team should instead decide exactly who they're marketing to and what those users care about, such as API simplicity.

Related event: PAW's Million-View Demo Fails to Convert Users, Sparking Debate on Dev Tool Marketing(9 posts)→

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