Sexy is not always valuable

Published on 2024-03-15

Don't be fooled by a pretty face. Just because something looks good doesn't mean it's worth a damn.

When I'm checking out new software, I need to remember that a slick UI or a fancy website (like [[Evervault]] or [[Reflect.app]]) doesn't automatically mean it solves a real problem or that the company knows how to sell it. Side note: new SaaS often seems just like niche solutions looking for problems, skipped by big companies, probably because they're not that profitable.

We need more than just another data tool with a nice look.

So many need extra integrations to work well within people’s existing tech stack…which always then results in the classic build versus buy argument (see: Enterprise companies don't buy startup software for longterm use).

Ever noticed how the most game-changing SaaS have outdated looks? Take [[Salesforce]] for example. It's ugly as sin, basically a fancy spreadsheet. But it gets the job done when it comes to CRM, and they know how to market it, so it's a hit.

Often, trying to make software look good limits the cool features engineers want to build. You bog down things with all these UI frameworks, it slows feature development because now everything has to be done in the context of a “Brand Design” framework. Each agile sprint is now clouded with questions of “How does this impact the UX?” You put UI designers in charge of functionality when you subvert function for form,

But the old-school enterprise software doesn't worry about looks – and ironically, that's where the money is (Makes you think, are they onto something, like playing a strategic game?)

Sometimes, when a UI is too pretty, it's actually a warning sign. Like, are they just trying to distract me from the fact that there's no substance?

It's like a girl who cakes on the makeup... what's she hiding under there?

Focus on the value, not the looks. Don't get played by a pretty interface.

Sexy is not always valuable

See also