About niche-knack apps
Part workshop, part experiment, part personal journey
niche-knack apps is a studio of carefully crafted software instruments — precision tools for people who work at the edges of disciplines.
My Philosophy
Software Should Be Crafted, Not Manufactured
In an age of bloated software suites and subscription-everything, I believe there's room for tools that do one thing well. Each tool in my workshop is designed to solve a specific problem with elegance and precision.
Niche Needs Deserve Dedicated Solutions
Poets analyzing meter, logicians visualizing proofs, researchers navigating packet captures - these aren't mainstream use cases, but the people who need these tools deserve software made with them in mind.
Quality Over Quantity, Depth Over Breadth
I'd rather have four excellent apps than forty mediocre ones. Every feature is considered, every interface element intentional. I ship when it's ready, not when a deadline demands it.
Open Access, Voluntary Support
All my software is freely available because I believe good tools should be accessible. The Value for Value model lets those who can contribute support those who can't, creating a sustainable ecosystem without excluding anyone.
Meet the Engineer
Jonathan Batteas
My name is Jonathan Batteas, and God has blessed me with a career that I often feel completely inadequate for. I work in autonomy software and infrastructure design supporting research at AFRL, and I spend my days surrounded by some of the smartest people in the world. It's a humbling experience. Being in that environment constantly reminds me not of what I know, but of how much I still have to learn.
Because I'm surrounded by so much brilliance, it has forced me to think carefully about what makes me different. I love complex systems, advanced software, and difficult technical problems, but at my core, I believe software exists to serve people. The most powerful tool in the world doesn't matter if it's frustrating to use, poorly designed, or ignores real needs simply because those needs are considered too small or too niche.
Throughout my life, I've lost count of how many times I've thought, “If only there were a piece of software that did this very specific thing.”
This year, I decided to stop waiting for those tools to exist.
I started Niche-Knack Apps as a way to build small, focused, and detail-oriented software that solves real problems — especially the ones that are too specialized, too unconventional, or too personal to attract mainstream attention. I want to build tools that feel intentional, thoughtful, and genuinely helpful to the people who need them.
I'm also leaning heavily into new agent-assisted development approaches and what many like to call “vibe coding.” I'm fascinated by the idea that modern tooling might dramatically multiply creativity and productivity while still preserving craftsmanship, usability, and human-centered design.
Niche-Knack Apps is part workshop, part experiment, and part personal journey. It's my attempt to explore whether software can be both deeply practical and deeply personal at the same time.
If any of that resonates with you, I hope you'll come along for the ride.