Despite the huge number of tools available today, it’s still surprisingly inefficient to find the right web app.
Most discovery methods have not really changed. You either get search results dominated by SEO-heavy sites, or you’re scrolling through stale “top tools” lists, which are rarely accurate to what’s actually useful today.
The Problem With Discovery Today
Some patterns keep recurring:
- The best tools are not always the most visible
- Many directories seem bloated or stale
- It's too much work to find niche or lightweight apps In reality, lots of good tools get buried, and mediocre tools get traffic.
What can help
Better discovery usually comes with experience:
- Not huge directories but smaller, focused collections
- Not just search, but browsing categories
- Platforms centered around web-based tools instead of comprehensive SaaS ecosystems
A Small Change of Strategy
I’ve been considering more curated or niche aggregators than general-purpose lists recently.
One example is Unstore, which is focused on web apps only, so it’s easier and less noisy to browse than normal directories.
It feels more like browsing a lightweight “store” of tools than a massive catalog.
Open Question
As web apps proliferate, discovery is becoming less of a solved problem and more of a problem.
How do you currently find new tools that you actually end up using?
Top comments (0)