Data composability: what it is + why it matters

Applications are basically interfaces + some business logic + databases. That's true of the vast majority of products online. The interface is what you see and interact with. The business logic defines and delivers the core functionality. Databases store the information presented, the events that occur, and the record of everything that has happene... See more

Why should every potential business need to build all 3 parts of this stack when their core innovation or value add comes primarily from one or two?

When database functionality is not siloed but open, this all changes. Any app can build on the same data. No app is a gatekeeper to it. And not every app needs to build an entire siloed stack.

Composable data is a paradigm shift for how the web works because it not only changes how applications are built but what an application is. This post aims to make this shift clear and concrete. By the end, you’ll see how writers in the future won’t choose between Medium vs. Substack vs. Twitter/Revue, and how you’ll be free to perfect your persona... See more

Today’s web browsers are relatively composable - you can add new functionality and features with extensions. Imagine if web browsers were locked down, and you had to choose between the core feature set alone: Chrome with built-in casting, Firefox with Pocket, or Brave with a crypto wallet. Thankfully you don't have to choose and be left so wanting ... See more

This basic stack is so accepted (and frankly so much easier now with AWS etc.) that we rarely question it. But it's ridiculously inefficient. Why should every potential business need to build all 3 parts of this stack when their core innovation or value add comes primarily from one or two?

This applies in the vast majority of cases. Some exceptions seem like pure services. Zapier, for example, is mostly logic that connects others' databases through APIs. But even here, your built-up Zaps are stored in their database and make it less likely you'll switch to IFTTT. Plaid connects financial databases, but the authorizations must still b... See more

When database functionality is not siloed but open, this all changes. Any app can build on the same data.

If Medium were built on open data, Substack wouldn't have to build an editor, interface, and CMS from scratch. They'd build a subscription module that operates on top of the Medium editor and content. You could continue writing in Medium (or elsewhere) and publishing there while using Substack's subscription feature to build an audience and deliver... See more