Emotion feels good.

Everyone is doing it.

When we think of software, we often focus on functionality, performance, and efficiency. Everybody has a product boasting the best features, fastest performance, and most efficient resource use. But that's just standard.

I don't like standard. I don't want to just settle for "good enough." I want to be extra. Over the top. I want to deliver experiences. Experiences that feel good.

Life is an experience.

Everything you do is an experience. Every failure, success, mistake, joy, and pain shapes who you are. As philosopher John Dewey said:

"We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience." – John Dewey

There's a reason companies value years of experience over simply ticking boxes on a resume.

Software is an experience.

My daily workflow revolves around three key apps:
• My browser.
• My IDE.
• Raycast.

Each serves a distinct purpose:
My browser connects me to the world wide web, documents, and communication.
My IDE is my livelihood, allowing me to craft and build software with emotion.
Raycast accelerates almost every task. It's something that should be in MacOS by default.

Currently, my browser of choice is Arc. Its thoughtful attention to detail, 'revolutionary' interface, and sheer ease of use make it indispensable. Safari could technically serve me well. Browse, read, communicate, but it simply doesn't feel good. Safari feels basic, out of sync. Arc feels intuitive, natural, emotional.

Alcove vs NotchNook: An emotional comparison.

Software's emotional resonance becomes clear when comparing Alcove and NotchNook—two Mac apps aimed at optimizing screen real estate around the camera notch.

NotchNook feels like Windows: buggy, sluggish, aiming to do everything but excelling at none. It offers a plethora of options yet lacks polish. It's software that works, but without joy.

Alcove, however, feels entirely different. It's refined, fluid, dynamic. Alcove integrates seamlessly. It feels like an integral part of my system rather than an intrusive addon. Alcove has emotion.

To quote Steve Jobs:

'Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.' - Steve Jobs

Alcove captures this philosophy perfectly. It doesn't just look or feel great, it works exceptionally, enhancing my experience.

Software with emotion isn't about adding unnecessary flair or chasing superficial trends. It's about creating something real, something intentional. Creating an experience that resonates on a personal level. Alcove does this, Arc does this. They don't just serve a purpose; they make me feel something.

Because,

"At the end of the day, great software isn't remembered for what it does. It's remembered for how it makes you feel."

— me