Projects start with a practical need or a subject I already understand. Rather than building a long list of features first and figuring out who might want them later, I prefer to start with the actual job the app needs to accomplish.

That means keeping the scope focused, testing on real devices, listening to people who actually use the software, and adding something only when it genuinely makes the tool better.

Kanawha Valley AppWorks isn’t trying to become an enormous software ecosystem. The goal is to make individual apps that can stand on their own.

Some will be practical everyday utilities. Others may grow from hobbies or specialized interests. They don’t all need to serve the same audience—they just need a good reason to exist.

I miss the era when buying software usually meant... buying software.

Whenever it makes sense, I want these apps to follow that philosophy: a reasonable price, no advertising clutter, no unnecessary accounts, and no subscription attached to a tool that doesn’t require an ongoing service.

There will always be exceptions where an app genuinely needs servers or continuing services, but recurring payments shouldn’t be the default just because they’re possible.