By: John S. Morlu II, CPA
Let’s be honest—just because someone has a PhD, a hoodie, and a startup doesn’t mean they’re solving a real problem.
Some of the world’s smartest people are building apps that do the digital version of nothing:
- An app that reminds you to hydrate… while you’re drinking water.
- A toothbrush that sends you an email if you didn’t floss.
- A fridge that tweets when you’re low on orange juice. (Like, do we need that? Or just… open the fridge?)
1. We Don’t Need More Apps. We Need Useful Ones.
Fun Fact: There are over 5 million apps in app stores right now.
Also a fun fact: You probably only use 5.
That means someone is spending millions of dollars to build something that no one asked for, no one needs, and no one uses—except maybe the founder’s mom (and even she’s deleting it).
Instead of inventing a third reminder app to tell us to stretch, how about:
- An app that helps farmers know when it’s going to rain.
- An app that lets people buy and sell in their local language.
- Or one that works on a basic phone—not just the latest iPhone made of platinum.
And let’s be honest, if your app can’t work during a power cut with one bar of signal, maybe it’s just a very shiny toy.
2. Fancy Doesn’t Mean Better
Some apps look so sleek, they could win a beauty contest. But try to use them? It’s like solving a Rubik’s Cube while skydiving.
If your “user interface” makes people cry, you didn’t design an app—you built a puzzle.
What people actually want is:
- Big buttons
- Simple words
- And the ability to use it without calling their cousin who knows computers
Real Talk: A grandma in Ghana should be able to send mobile money without feeling like she’s launching a rocket.
Better yet, if your uncle who still calls every text message “the WhatsApp” can use your app without yelling, then you’re onto something.
3. Real Problems Don’t Always Look Cool
A broken rice mill in a village? Not cool.
A mother trying to figure out if her baby has a fever? Not cool.
A small shopkeeper who’s owed money by 20 neighbors? Also not cool.
But those are real problems. And solving them makes you a hero—way more than making another app that puts hats on cats in photos.
Fun Fact: There’s an app that helps you find the nearest toilet in public. That’s funny. But also brilliant. Because when nature calls in a city you don’t know, that’s the kind of genius that matters.
4. The Next Big Thing Might Look Small
Sometimes the greatest ideas come from things no one’s paying attention to:
- A solar light that charges a phone in a village without electricity? Life-changing.
- A simple calculator that works in Swahili? Game-changer.
- A delivery service using bicycles in tight alleys? Brilliant.
Remember: Fire was just a hot stick once.
Also remember: The guy who made the first wheel probably got laughed at by other cave guys. “What’s that? A round rock?” Now we can’t live without it.
5. Common Sense > Fancy Tech
Let’s bring back some old-school thinking:
- If someone can’t figure it out in 30 seconds, it’s too complicated.
- If it needs a tutorial longer than a Marvel movie, it’s too much.
- If it doesn’t help people earn, learn, or live better… what’s the point?
Fun Tidbit: The guy who invented Velcro got the idea from burrs stuck on his dog’s fur. He wasn’t trying to “disrupt the fastening industry.” He just saw something simple and made it useful.
Moral of the story: If your dog and a bush can build billion-dollar ideas, you can too.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to build something loud.
You just have to build something that works.
So skip the rocket science, skip the fridge with Wi-Fi, and skip the ninth meditation app.
Build stuff people need.
Make it easy.
Make it smart.
Make it work—even when Wi-Fi doesn’t.
Because the smartest tech?
It just… works.
Seriously—why do I need a smart fork that tells me I’m eating too fast? My grandma already does that. And she doesn’t need Bluetooth.
Let’s not forget the app that tracks how long you nap, then sends you motivational quotes about productivity. Yes, I just woke up from a nap. Please stop judging me, robot.
If your tech requires an engineering degree to send $5 or check your electricity bill, then congrats—you’ve overengineered basic life.
Remember: even the guy who made peanut butter didn’t try to connect it to the blockchain. He just wanted it to spread easily. That’s real innovation.
Look, not everyone wants their toaster connected to the internet. Most of us just want toast.
If your app crashes every time someone sneezes near a cell tower, maybe it’s not the future—it’s just a fancy glitch.
People don’t need a voice assistant that speaks 8 languages. They need one that understands a crying baby, a barking dog, and a grandma yelling from the kitchen.
Big tech, take note: we don’t need apps that make coffee. We need apps that help people make a living. Then they’ll buy their own coffee.
About the Author
John is an entrepreneur, strategist, and founder of JS Morlu, LLC, a Virginia based CPA firm with multiple software ventures including www.FinovatePro.com, www.Recksoft.com and www.Fixaars.com . With operations spanning multiple countries, John is on a mission to build global infrastructure that empowers small businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals to thrive in an increasingly competitive world. He believes in hard truths, smart execution, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. When he’s not writing or building, he’s challenging someone to a productivity contest—or inventing software that automates it.