Apps, like art, gain meaning from their audience. (So ship that beta now.)

I released the first beta of DoTheThing.app earlier this month. It felt incomplete and far too humble to show the world, but I did it anyway. It’s part of my training as a creator, something I learned way back in art school: never show your work for the first time when it’s already finished.

Do The Thing still lacks a lot of what I’d call its defining features. I shipped it without notifications, which will eventually be one of the app’s major selling points. Some features are half-implemente...