Why Developers Ignore the Platform: It's More Fun to Build It Yourself
Why don't more developers "use the platform"?
Nolan Lawson explores why developers resist 'use the platform' despite its performance and accessibility benefits. He cites historical browser lag, npm familiarity, and the sheer joy of building—the IKEA effect—as key factors. Drawing on his own PouchDB experience and a ClickHouse anecdote, he argues that understanding the platform's power often comes from first reinventing it. He also weighs AI's dual potential to either champion platform APIs or worsen over-engineering.
For a certain type of developer, building things yourself is just more fun.