Why Separate Apps Beat One Universal Tool
The case for focused environments over flexible features.
The trend in AI products is toward unification. One model. One interface. One place to do everything.
We're going the opposite direction. Cardana is six separate apps, not one. Here's why.
The Universal Tool Trap
Universal tools are attractive because they're simple to explain. "You can do anything!" But they're complicated to use.
When a tool does everything, you have to constantly specify what you want. Are you learning? Working? Creating? The tool doesn't know, so you have to tell it — on every turn.
This creates overhead. Not technical overhead, but cognitive overhead. You spend mental energy managing the tool instead of doing your work.
Focus Enables Depth
Focused tools are different. When you open a tool designed for one purpose, you don't have to specify your intent. The intent is embedded in the tool itself.
A learning app knows you're learning. A creation app knows you're creating. The interface, the AI behaviour, the available features — everything is tuned for that purpose.
This enables depth. Instead of being pretty good at everything, the tool can be excellent at one thing.
The Interface Matters
A learning interface should look different from a creation interface. Different information is relevant. Different actions are common. Different feedback loops matter.
Universal tools can't optimise interfaces because they don't know what you're doing. They have to serve all purposes with one design.
Separate apps let us design each interface for its specific purpose. Learn looks like a learning environment. Studio looks like a creation environment. Projects looks like a project management environment.
Constraints Are Features
We often think of constraints as limitations. But in product design, constraints are features.
A focused app can say "no" to things that don't fit its purpose. It can be opinionated about workflows. It can enforce patterns that lead to better outcomes.
Universal tools can't do this. They have to accommodate all use cases, so they can't be opinionated about any of them.
Why Now?
The rise of AI makes this approach more viable. AI can adapt to context — but only if context is clear.
When you tell an AI "I'm in a learning environment," it can behave like a tutor. When you tell it "I'm in a creation environment," it can behave like a collaborator.
Separate apps provide that context automatically. The routing decision is the context declaration.
Conclusion
We're not building six apps because it's easier. We're building six apps because it's better.
Focused environments enable focused work. Constraints enable depth. Separate tools, unified by a common identity, provide the best of both worlds.