Building a Niche Accessibility Tool as a Solo Founder
Building a Niche Accessibility Tool as a Solo Founder
The hardest lesson in building developer tools: nobody wants another app to manage. The tools that succeed are the ones that disappear into existing workflows. They do not demand attention - they save time without requiring the user to learn something new.
The Invisible Tool Principle
A menu bar utility that sits quietly until you need it. A voice command that triggers an automation without switching contexts. A keyboard shortcut that runs a multi-step workflow in the background. These are invisible tools - they are present without being prominent.
The alternative is building a dashboard, a command center, a "hub" for automation. Users try it, appreciate the concept, and never open it again because opening a separate app is already too much friction.
Niche Means Defensible
Building specifically for macOS accessibility APIs is a narrow niche. That narrowness is the advantage. Generic automation tools compete with Zapier, IFTTT, and every no-code platform. A tool built on macOS accessibility APIs competes with almost nothing because most builders target the larger cross-platform market.
The niche also means your users are specific: macOS power users who want desktop automation that goes beyond what Automator and Shortcuts can do. These users give better feedback, have clearer needs, and are more willing to pay for a tool that solves their specific problem.
Solo Founder Constraints
As a solo founder, you cannot build for everyone. The temptation is to add features for every user request. The discipline is to say no to features that move you out of your niche, even when the user asking is loud.
Build the invisible tool that solves one problem extremely well. Let it embed inside workflows people already have. The product grows through word of mouth from users who barely notice it is there - they just notice their work gets done faster.
Fazm is an open source macOS AI agent. Open source on GitHub.