Software subscriptions are like Costco memberships.

You don’t “make the most” of your membership by buying everything in the store. If you bought even half of the things in Costco, I’d be very worried about you.

It’s the same with software. Every app is a warehouse of features designed for millions of people. A small handful (cartful?) of those are for you.

The question isn’t whether you’re using the tool to its fullest (please don’t!) but rather, when you visit the app, can you find the things you need without a hassle.

Here’s a difference between Costco and software: you have to pay for each product in the store, but in software, the giant warehouse of features is free with your subscription.

Since “you already paid for it,” it makes sense to think, “well, I better get as much as I can.”

Here’s the trick.

The cost of those features is your time.

Every new feature requires you to spend time learning it, and it makes the store bigger. Every new aisle is more noise for you to drown out. (Pop-ups announcing new features are like the people selling phone plans at the entrance.)

The bigger the software, the longer it takes to find your way around. At some point, you have to hire a tour guide (a consultant) just to help you find your own things.

The cost of software isn’t the subscription, in the same way the cost of your Costco membership isn’t the annual fee.

The true cost of software is the time it takes to find what you’re looking for and accomplish your goals. If you have to spend weeks in training to navigate an infinite warehouse of features, that’s a sign something has gone wrong.

Some of us need to shop small.

Some of us need bodega software.

Long before vibe coding was a thing, there was indie software: entire companies built by one or two people. No investors. No enterprise plans. Just a simple idea and a small footprint.

• Ghost for publishing
• Fathom Analytics for web traffic
• SavvyCal for scheduling
• Geocodio for geo mapping

If you’re tired of schlepping through a warehouse of features, it may be time to look for your neighborhood software company. The one where the founder answers support tickets. Where they only release a few new features a year. Where they take pride in every selection and build with restraint and intention.

Most of us aren’t enterprises. Some of us want to shop with a basket instead of a flatbed cart.

Reply to this email with the tool you want to replace, and I’ll give you some indie suggestions.

Until next time,
Ted

P.S. If you’re in Wichita August 6–7, I hope you’ll join me at the Global Leadership Summit. It’s one of the best ways to connect with nonprofit leaders in the city, and I’d love to see you there. Register here: leadwichita.org/wichita-global-leadership-summit