No Skill. No Taste

4 days ago

The author reflects on the current state of 'Show HN' and HN, expressing concerns about the illusion of a lower barrier to entry in programming due to LLMs.
They introduce a 'magic quadrant' of taste and skill, criticizing the proliferation of poorly crafted, derivative applications that lack both.
The post argues that while skill is important, taste is crucial for resonating with an audience, regardless of technical complexity.
Examples are given of simple but popular apps that succeeded due to their tastefulness, contrasting with the current trend of low-quality submissions.
The author believes LLMs have exacerbated the issue by enabling people to create applications without the necessary taste or skill, leading to a flood of subpar content.
They compare the current situation to the crypto boom, where many hoped to get rich quickly but few succeeded, highlighting the enduring importance of taste.
The conclusion emphasizes the need for developers to cultivate taste before sharing their work, to avoid contributing to the noise.

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