The Software Meal Tier System
"My money is on Michelin-star SaaS"
The shower’s steam clung to the tiles as I replayed Robin Sloan’s analogy in my head: What if apps are like meals? His essay on “home-cooked software” had lodged itself in my brain. Sloan’s BoopSnoop—a messaging app built exclusively for his family, with “zero churn” among its four daily users—embodied the warmth of a home-cooked meal.
"When you liberate programming from the requirement to be professional and SCALABLE, it becomes a different activity altogether." Robin Sloan
But with AI tools and no-code platforms exploding, the culinary metaphor demanded expansion. If anyone can now “cook” an app, differentiation lies not in quantity but quality—a spectrum stretching from sad microwave dinners to glittering Michelin-starred experiences.
Let’s break down this Software Meal Tier System, a framework to categorize apps by their craftsmanship, intent, and nutritional value (or lack thereof).
The system
Modern tooling has turned app development into a universal kitchen. But just as meals vary wildly—from nutrient-sludge to artisanal feasts—so does software. Here’s how they map:
| Tier | Characteristics | Pros & Cons | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microwave Meal | Cheap, mass-produced, dark pattern | 🟢 Instant gratification 🔴 Toxic additives |
Cookie-cutter "get rich quick" apps |
| Fast Food | Addictive UX (endless scroll) | 🟢 Viral growth 🔴 Mental junk |
Social media clones |
| Home-Cooked | Personal, "good enough" solutions | 🟢 Perfect fit 🔴 Does not scale |
Robin Sloan’s BoopSnoop |
| Corporate Cafeteria | Mandatory enterprise tools | 🟢 Solves compliance 🔴 Zero delight |
Workday PTO labyrinth |
| Chain Restaurant | Reliable but generic | 🟢 Enterprise-safe 🔴 Innovation-free |
Microsoft 365 |
| Fine Dining | Specialized professional tools | 🟢 Peak performance 🔴 Steep learning curve |
Figma, Retool |
| Michelin Star | Obsessive craftsmanship | 🟢 Unmatched quality 🔴 Labor-intensive |
Pixar's Presto |
I like this metaphore because it works really well with two powerful trends in the technological world : "the software devolution cycle" and "the SaaS speakeasy syndrome".
The software devolution cycle
Most mainstream SaaS begins as a Chain Restaurant—think early Google’s “Don’t be evil” ethos or Facebook’s dorm-room simplicity.
But scale demands often force a descent into Fast Food: surveillance capitalism (“bad additives”) replaces value, and dark patterns (e.g., infinite scroll, hidden cancelation flows) become the secret sauce.
Consider Meta’s pivot from a friends-focused platform to an algorithmic casino, or Google’s transformation from clean search to an ad-laden ecosystem. The trajectory mirrors processed food: initial convenience gives way to toxicity.
The SaaS speakeasy syndrome
The extrovert’s 2 AM declaration—“Let’s open a bar!”—mirrors the developer’s SaaS fantasy. Both romanticize autonomy (sticky floors vs. viral loops) while ignoring the stats:
- 60% of restaurants fail within a year
- 90% of SaaS startups die within three years
Why? Bars and SaaS face the same trap: everyone thinks they can outdo the competition, but few survive the grind. Success demands extremes:
- "Chef" level craftsmanship: Tools so refined they become non-negotiable (e.g., Linear’s obsession with developer UX).
- McDonald’s-grade scale: Ubiquitous utilities monetized through volume (e.g., Zoom’s pandemic-era dominance).
The middle—half-hearted “gourmet burger” apps—gets devoured by both ends.
The scalability paradox
A Michelin restaurant’s scarcity justifies its price. Software, infinitely scalable, seems destined for commoditization—yet the opposite is unfolding. As AI churns out Microwave Meal-grade apps, craftsmanship becomes a moat. The future belongs to builders who treat code like a tasting menu: obsessive, iterative, and reservation-only.