Software as Public Infrastructure

We don't think of roads as products. We think of them as infrastructure. Software should aspire to the same standard.

What Public Infrastructure Gets Right

• Designed for everyone, not just power users
• Maintained incrementally over decades
• Prioritises reliability over novelty
• Boring on purpose — predictability is a feature

Applying This to Software

When I approach a project, I ask: if this were a bridge, would I trust it in ten years? Would someone who didn't build it understand how it works? This changes what you optimise for.