That LinkedIn post strikes a chord because it exposes the “Feature Creep” of modern existence. We’ve entered an era of Solutionism—a term coined by critic Evgeny Morozov—where we invent “solutions” for problems that didn’t actually exist until the marketing department told us they did.
When we prioritize capability over utility, we don’t get progress; we get clutter.
The Evolution of the “Because We Can” Era
The post highlights a historical pattern of tech-lust that prioritizes novelty over necessity. Here is how that cycle has manifested:
| Era | The “Magic” Ingredient | The Resulting Clutter |
| 1950s | Atomic Energy | Radioactive cosmetics and “Radithor” health tonics. |
| 1990s | LCD Screens | Putting digital clocks on literally everything (toasters, pens). |
| 2010s | App Connectivity | The “Smart” Juicemaker and Wi-Fi enabled slow cookers. |
| 2020s | Sensors & “AI-Lite” | Rings that tell you you’re tired (when you already feel tired). |
The Hidden Costs of “Minor Convenience”
The post mentions “creeping optimization,” and it’s a vital point. When every metric of our lives—sleep, steps, heart rate, focus—is tracked, we stop living and start managing.
- Mental Overhead: Every smart device is a commitment to a firmware update, a charging cable, and a data privacy policy.
- The Feedback Loop of Anxiety: Does seeing a “72% Sleep Score” make you feel rested, or does it make you stressed that you didn’t hit 80%?
- The Subscription Trap: Hardware is increasingly becoming a Trojan horse for monthly recurring revenue (MRR). You don’t own the tech; you rent the insights it gleans from your own body.
Moving Toward Intentional Tech
True innovation should be subtractive as often as it is additive. It should remove friction from the human experience without adding a digital leash.
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
If we want to move past “overproduction in search of justification,” we have to start asking different questions at the design stage:
- Does this solve a recurring human frustration?
- Does the benefit outweigh the maintenance?
- Would this product still be useful if the cloud servers went offline tomorrow?
The Burden of “Smart” Things
To answer the closing question of your post: for many, the Smart Home Hub is the ultimate example. It starts with the magic of turning off a light with your voice. It ends with you standing in a dark kitchen, yelling at a plastic cylinder because your internet is down and you can’t find the manual override for the “Smart” bulb.
What is one piece of tech you’ve retired because it simply asked for more than it gave?