Hey Knit naptakers! Oh is it just me…?
Sleepy stuff
I flew back to NYC! And was surprisingly jetlagged. I didn’t get to as much Knit stuff as I had planned, so I’ll just share some recent thoughts.
Build stuff
I remembered that Knit was not originally inspired by Git; it was originally inspired by build tools. Usually they invoke compilers and linkers, but they can compose anything that works with files. Build tools fundamentally take input data, run transformation processes that generate output data, and manage the dependency graph. Make was the original data build tool. Even the inventor of D3 uses Make for data.
I have been thinking a little of Knit as a build tool that works with Git-like objects instead of files. It’s kind of like a Git for Make. I think there’s some interesting analogies to pursue, like with caching or distributed computation (ccache or distcc). I also like how build tools are monomaniacally focused on reproducibility and speed; data tools seem to treat these more as features than requirements.
Influencer stuff
YouTube stars build online audiences to get out there instead of relying on big labels. I think open source projects trying to get attention without VCs are kind of in the same boat. Instead of spending as much time on direct networking, I’m thinking of switching gears and trying to build an audience online. I might start by reposting some Knit picks on Ghost.
Even though I have no idea what I’m doing, I think it still might make sense. Preparing ideas for an audience helps refine them (hello!). I’ve been thinking about an MVP as something a stranger on the Internet could try out on their own. And I’ve been thinking it might make sense to go really wide and let people select in if they’re interested.
To be continued!