Are we over-optimizing discovery and missing better tools?
Lately, I’ve been questioning how we discover new products as builders.
Most of our tools come from the same places. Twitter threads, Product Hunt launches, SEO heavy listicles, or whatever is already getting pushed by the algorithm. It works, but it also creates this loop where the same products keep getting reinforced, while smaller, genuinely useful tools barely surface.
As indie builders, that’s a bit ironic.
We spend so much time building niche products for specific problems, yet discovery channels don’t really favor niche anymore. They favor momentum.
So I started intentionally looking outside of that loop. Less “top 10 tools” and more environments where discovering something feels closer to browsing than searching.
One thing I came across recently is this idea of a web-first app store. Not in the traditional sense of installs or ecosystems, but more like a collection of lightweight apps you can just open and use instantly.
This is the one I’ve been exploring: https://unstore.io. What I found interesting is not just the apps themselves, but the format. It removes a lot of friction from trying new tools. No commitment, no setup, just open and see if it’s useful.
As a builder, it also made me think about distribution differently. If users could access your product instantly inside a broader ecosystem like this, does that change how you design onboarding? Pricing? Retention?
Feels like there’s something here, especially as more tools move to the browser anyway.
Curious how others here think about this.
Where do you actually find new tools that stick? And do you feel current discovery channels are working in your favor as a builder?
I think the bigger issue is that most discovery platforms optimize for popularity, not relevance. Great niche tools often solve real problems but never get enough initial momentum to break into the feeds where people are looking.
What I find interesting about web-first app stores is the reduction in commitment. When trying a tool takes seconds instead of signups, downloads, and onboarding flows, I’m much more willing to experiment. That changes discovery from a deliberate search process into something closer to exploration.
As a builder, that also raises an interesting question: if users can experience value before creating an account, maybe onboarding becomes less about explaining and more about extending a useful experience they’ve already had.
Curious to see whether this model can help smaller products compete on usefulness rather than marketing reach.