Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a power user. In the tech world, the term refers to someone who pushes a technology to its limits. Whether out of necessity or preference, the performance such a person tries to get out of a device or app goes beyond that of a typical user—sometimes even beyond the expectations of the creator—and thus they are granted the title “power user.”
Power users come in all forms. Science researchers and virtual reality programmers are power users because the work they’re doing requires computer processing power far beyond what you or I could ever make us of. I like to follow iPad power users: writers, videographers, designers, podcasters, and others who use their iPads to get their work done and have really pushed the iPad platform beyond simple consumption. Some people thoroughly enjoy automating their computing experiences and become power users of their devices in that way, making the computer do a lot more of the work for them.
I’ve often wondered if I should consider myself a power user. I work a lot with computers, after all, and I can certainly push them to their limits. And I do get a lot of things done on my iPad Pro, so I might at least be an iPad power user. But for whatever reason, the title has never felt quite right to me. Maybe it’s humility, a sense that I’m not doing anything particularly groundbreaking with my technology, or something else. I’m not quite sure.
But I’ve recently discovered at least one context in which I definitely am a power user: budgeting apps. As you’ve probably heard me lament many times, I had to create a new banking and budgeting setup this year when my bank, Simple, shut down. And after trying out every budgeting service I could find, I figured out that my needs in that space absolutely are not typical.
I did eventually find a solution that fit me, though: OpenBudget. And it’s quickly become my favorite app. I legitimately enjoy managing my budget and entering transactions because it is just so good.
One thing I realized in the process of setting up the app and talking with the developer about my experience is that OpenBudget wasn’t really made to do what I’m using it for. It’s my understanding that Khan, the creator, imagined it as a simple way for people to keep up with a handful of budget categories and log their transactions. On the other hand, I created more than 50 different budget lines the first time I opened the app because that’s how I like to break down my finances.
When I told Khan about my setup initially, I think he was surprised. My needs exceeded those of a typical user, and my use case was more complicated than expected user behavior. I was pushing the app beyond what it was created to do! And in doing so, I became an OpenBudget power user, which actually felt pretty cool.
So yeah, I can now proudly claim the title of power user. It might not be what people typically think of when they hear the term, but I’m going to stick with it anyway.
If we apply the concept outside the field of technology, there’s a sense in which we’re each a power user of something. Whether it’s a tool you use at work, supplies for your favorite hobby, or even just your phone, we all have something in our lives that we’re uniquely adept at using and that we’re pushing to its limits.
Maybe you’re a power user of your lawn mower. Or your hair dryer. Or your frisbee golf set. Or your TV. Maybe you can do things with a needle and thread most of us could only dream of, or maybe you feel more at home working with a saw. Regardless of what it is, if you have passion, experience, and expertise in something, that makes you a power user.
So what does it mean to be a power user, whether it be in technology or elsewhere? That’s what I’ve been contemplating lately.
I think that being a power user requires a certain amount of patience. If you’re pushing something to its limits, there’s a pretty good chance that your experience won’t be smooth every single time. You might even break it a few times. Power users need to recognize that we’re not the main, target audience, and so we have to be willing to work around those limitations.
When I first started using OpenBudget, I crashed it several times. I figured out that some of my behavior as a user was simply overwhelming the app because it wasn’t what it was meant to do. I was doing too much too quickly, and it was causing problems. It was jarring at first, but once I recognized the pattern and how to work through it, I pressed on. A typical user wouldn’t have had that problem, so I as a power user simply had to learn to manage.
Of course, there might be cases where you want a tool to do something it’s simply incapable of doing. That can be disappointing, especially when you’re invested in a product. But it’s part of the reality of being a power user. In that case, your best options are to rethink your approach, reach out to the creators to try to find a solution, or seek out a more power user-friendly tool.
As you become more comfortable as a power user and part of the community surrounding the tool you’re using, you’ll become even more knowledgeable about what you’re doing and capable of handling these kinds of situations properly. Even power users have to be willing to learn!
Being a power user also comes with certain responsibilities, both to the creators of the things we love and to typical users of them. If we care about something, then we should take part in making it better and making it accessible to others. By interacting with the creators of the things we use and offering them support and feedback, we can help push the things we love to the next level. And by sharing our insights and skills freely with others, we can empower them to become more adept users, too, and enjoy all the benefits that we do.
(One side note on power users’ responsibilities, especially in the tech space: If we’re going to create more work for those who make the tools we use, we need to be willing to pay them for it. If you’re getting an inordinate amount of value out of something, it’s only fair that you contribute above and beyond what a typical user does. If you’re a power user of a tool—especially if it’s created by an independent developer/company—I’d highly recommend thinking about ways you can concretely give back to those making it and compensate them for the extra time and work your power consumption creates.)
I’ve so enjoyed my conversations with Khan about how his app has benefited me and about my experience using it. Our talks have really helped me understand OpenBudget better, and I’ve actually been able to see ways that my feedback been incorporated into the app, which just feels great. I’m still thinking through ways that I can share my use of OpenBudget with others helpfully, but it’s definitely something I intend to do in the near future.
Along with responsibilities, being a power user also has its perks. People become power users for a reason: It’s fun and can be really productive! Being on the bleeding edge means you get to explore all the possibilities of the tool you’re using. You might find ways to extend existing use cases or even come up with totally new ones. And if you’re doing your duty to share what you find, you might just get to have an influence on the future of the thing you love.
That’s been my experience as a power user, anyway. I find it very fulfilling to play with OpenBudget and see what it can do. I’ve found fun and useful tidbits in the app I never would have come across if I weren’t pushing it to its limits. And as I said before, I’ve even been able to have a tiny impact on the app’s development by offering feedback and suggestions that are reflected in real-world features.
Maybe it’s silly to be emotionally invested in an app on my phone, especially one as seemingly mundane as a number cruncher. But I get legitimate feelings of excitement and pride when I use OpenBudget or see someone else using it or find out that there’s an update to it, because I’m a power user, and that’s a special relationship to have with a tool. I’m grateful to get to experience it.
So let me ask you: What are you a power user of? How are you pushing that thing you love to its limits and working to make it better for everyone? I’d really like to hear your thoughts! Feel free to leave a comment below or reach out on social media.
Thanks for reading, friends, and I’ll talk to you again soon. 🙂
