May 2, 2026
A field guide to small tools
The best tools I have built were the ones nobody asked for, made in an afternoon, used for years.
There is a particular joy in a tool that does exactly one thing and then gets out of your way. No onboarding, no settings, no roadmap.
Small tools are honest. They cannot hide behind a brand or a funding round. They either save you the ten seconds they promised, or they do not.
Build more of them. Throw half of them away. Keep the ones that stick.