Kaamfu builds with a clear understanding that people care only up to a point. The blog reflects on a personal lesson that most people are too caught up in their own lives to deeply invest in others’ stories—or in software. This realization drives Kaamfu to create tools that quietly do their job without demanding attention or praise. By rejecting the falsehoods of corporate culture and toxic empathy, Kaamfu focuses on building honest, efficient products that respect users’ time. The future belongs to businesses that acknowledge this reality and strip away unnecessary noise.

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I learned something when I was very young that has shaped everything I believe today. It wasn’t a lesson from school, a book, or even a mentor. It was a moment—small and quiet—when a close family member, who once listened to me, suddenly stopped.

I didn’t understand it at the time. I was about 12. What I couldn’t see then was that they were going through their own struggles. They weren’t being cold; they were simply too tired to pretend to care. That moment stayed with me. And over the years, I realized: people don’t really care.

It sounds negative. It’s not. It’s just reality. People care, but only up to a point. They care long enough to add their own piece, to share their own experience. If you’re aware of this, you learn to “pass the ball” in conversations—say your piece, then give them the chance to speak. Conversation becomes a game. The best players keep it moving.

Others? They drone on, no self-awareness, no passing the ball back. These are the people who believe others are deeply invested in their every word. I’m glad I learned early that’s not how it works. This realization shaped how I build software, how I think about business, and how I see the world.

People Need Software — But They Don’t Want It

Most software seems to be built by people who believe the world is waiting with open arms for their product. They’re wrong. People don’t care about your software. They care about what it does for them. They need it, but they don’t want to spend time using it.

That’s why I’ve always built “anti-software.” Tools that get out of the way. Tools that don’t demand attention or praise. Tools that do their job and let people get back to what they actually care about.

The same applies to corporate “culture.” Another buzzword. Most of what companies call culture is theater—HR managers forcing smiles, mistaking politeness for passion. Workers don’t care about foosball tables and quirky Slack channels. They care about doing their job well and going home to their family.

The End of Toxic Empathy

I think we’re entering a new moment—the end of toxic empathy. The era of pretending to care about every cause, every issue, every “corporate initiative” is crumbling. People are tired. They want honesty.

If we build products, companies, and relationships with this truth in mind—that people care up to a point, and that’s okay—we’ll build better things. We’ll stop over-engineering culture and software alike.

It’s not cynical. It’s respect. Respect for people’s time, attention, and energy.

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