Mobile won the platform war on distribution, not capability

4 days ago

Mobile's victory in the platform war was driven by distribution and store lock-in, not by superior technical capabilities.
Key native-only app categories include UPI payments in India, certain games, delivery apps with channel advantages, and hardware-intensive creative apps, but these are exceptions.
Electron-based desktop apps (e.g., Slack, VS Code) succeeded due to low update friction and maintainer-controlled channels, proving update cadence is more critical than web vs. native rendering.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) failed primarily due to Apple's deliberate suppression of distribution channels on iOS, not technical inferiority.
Platform hardening post-2018 (e.g., stricter permissions, policies) killed hobbyist development by raising barriers to entry, highlighting gatekeeper control over the channel.
The store's control over discovery, installation, and payments gave mobile dominance, but this channel narrows over time, impacting developers' freedom.

Hasty Briefsbeta