We no longer learn about the world from institutions, or even the illusion of them. We learn about the world from people we care about. This binds our sense of truth to tribal identity, and that is a powerful, fundamentally emotional connection.
Books and standup comedy are the rare mediums that are usually created by a single person. Because of this they can be more daring and go to more interesting places than their big budget Hollywood versions.
I think single creator/small team apps can be like that too.