Developing Taste

This argues that as products become commoditized, mere functionality is no longer the competitive edge; what distinguishes successful software is the quality of design, brand, and overall experience, which all come down to taste. Taste is framed not as simple preference but as a trained instinct: the ability to see what elevates an experience and why some designs feel effortless. The piece uses the historical shift in automobiles - where color and form mattered only after cars replaced horses - to show how scarcity rewards tools but abundance rewards taste, and emphasizes that good taste is something one cultivates rather than inherits.

Practical guidance follows: immerse yourself in outstanding work in your field, build a curated list of respected practitioners and study their choices, and learn by using and dissecting great examples rather than passively consuming them. Train the habit of explaining why a design or interaction works instead of relying on gut reactions, and practice your craft relentlessly - designers should design, writers should write - while soliciting targeted feedback to accelerate growth. Expect early output to lag behind your taste; that gap is normal and signals progress rather than failure. Specific references include methods like app dissections and the well-known “taste gap” concept to illustrate learning through critique and repetition.