git.stevedylan.dev

chore: update post 710aa09c

Steve · 2026-04-20 07:16 1 file(s) · +1 −1

packages/client/src/content/post/building-personal-software-in-rust.mdx +1 −1


With all the good parts of Rust, there is still the opportunity for a solid footgun. It feels almost dangerous for someone of my level of skill in Rust to create this much software in a language that is known to be incredibly complex. Sure I can test it, and I know how to identify bad patterns that can be corrected, but it does not replace what comes with years of experience in Rust that I simply don't have yet. Not to mention the dependencies. My apps don't have many, but it's still a level of abstraction that I have to eat and hope doesn't hurt me later. 

The idea of other people taking this approach also has some flaws. I want to believe in a future where people can just create their own software as they need it, but today, the truth is I already know a fair bit of how all of this works. While I don't have lots of experience in Rust, I do have experience in programming in general and hosting applications. Using something like Tailscale or a Cloudflare tunnel is second nature to me and I understand why they exist, but the average person that may want to build an app will have no idea. I also already knew what pieces of the stack I needed, and how to avoid adding bigger dependencies like using React for a client side app. This is just knowledge that helps me build exactly what I want, but I can't say someone else would have the same experience.
The idea of other people taking this approach also has some flaws. I want to believe in a future where people can just create their own software as they need it, but today, the truth is I already know a fair bit of how all of this works. While I don't have lots of experience in Rust, I do have experience in programming in general and hosting applications. Before even building an app I already knew all the pieces I needed to make it happen, what choices to make in all the available options, and how to execute it in a way that I know will work. AI just works better if you already know exactly what you want and if you can explain it well. The average person is likely not going to have this.

## The Ugly


36	36
37	37		With all the good parts of Rust, there is still the opportunity for a solid footgun. It feels almost dangerous for someone of my level of skill in Rust to create this much software in a language that is known to be incredibly complex. Sure I can test it, and I know how to identify bad patterns that can be corrected, but it does not replace what comes with years of experience in Rust that I simply don't have yet. Not to mention the dependencies. My apps don't have many, but it's still a level of abstraction that I have to eat and hope doesn't hurt me later.
38	38
39		-	The idea of other people taking this approach also has some flaws. I want to believe in a future where people can just create their own software as they need it, but today, the truth is I already know a fair bit of how all of this works. While I don't have lots of experience in Rust, I do have experience in programming in general and hosting applications. Using something like Tailscale or a Cloudflare tunnel is second nature to me and I understand why they exist, but the average person that may want to build an app will have no idea. I also already knew what pieces of the stack I needed, and how to avoid adding bigger dependencies like using React for a client side app. This is just knowledge that helps me build exactly what I want, but I can't say someone else would have the same experience.
	39	+	The idea of other people taking this approach also has some flaws. I want to believe in a future where people can just create their own software as they need it, but today, the truth is I already know a fair bit of how all of this works. While I don't have lots of experience in Rust, I do have experience in programming in general and hosting applications. Before even building an app I already knew all the pieces I needed to make it happen, what choices to make in all the available options, and how to execute it in a way that I know will work. AI just works better if you already know exactly what you want and if you can explain it well. The average person is likely not going to have this.
40	40
41	41		## The Ugly
42	42