BuildBrief: Stop building painkiller apps. Build medicine apps instead

You have 20 app ideas in your notes.

But here's the brutal truth: 19 of them are probably painkillers, not medicine.

And that's actually why most app ideas are bad.

Let me explain the difference and show you how to spot medicine apps that people actually need.

The painkiller trap

A painkiller app solves a problem that's annoying but not critical.

People can live without it. They might download it, use it once, then forget about it.

Examples of painkiller apps:

• A habit tracker
• A mood journal
• A recipe organizer

These apps feel like good ideas because they solve real problems.

But the problems aren't urgent enough to change behavior or pay money.

Medicine apps save lives (or businesses)

A medicine app solves a problem that stops people from functioning.

Without it, they're stuck. They can't complete their task or reach their goal.

Examples of medicine apps:

• Uber (before Uber, getting a taxi in many cities was nearly impossible)
• WhatsApp (international texting was expensive and unreliable)
• Flo Cycle & Period Tracker (before Flo, tracking your menstrual cycle was a hassle)

Notice the pattern: these apps didn't just make life better - they made impossible things possible.

The 3-question test to know if you have a medicine - or a painkiller app:

Before building your next app, run it through these three questions:

1. "What can't they do without your app?"

If the answer is "nothing" or "they can do it, just slower" → Painkiller

If the answer is a specific task they literally cannot complete → Medicine

2. "How much time/money are they losing right now?"

If it's measured in minutes or convenience → Painkiller

If it's measured in hours, dollars, or lost opportunities → Medicine

3. "How often do they hit this problem?"

If it's occasional or "nice to avoid" → Painkiller

If it's daily, weekly, or blocking their core workflow → Medicine

Action Steps

Found a potential medicine app idea? Test it:

1. Ask 10 people: "How do you currently solve [this problem]?"
2. If they say "I don't" or "I just deal with it" → Painkiller
3. If they describe a complex, expensive, or time-consuming workaround → Medicine

The more painful their current solution, the more they need your medicine.

The goal isn't to build apps people want.

It's to build apps people need to survive and thrive.

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Happy building!
– Kristoffer, BuildWithAI