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One of the hard things is that we all have different use cases and entry points.
What and who is the LN primarily for? That'll speak to how developers should proceed.
That's the $10,000 question, and you've hit on why UX development feels fragmented right now. The answer isn't one-size-fits-all because the LN is currently serving two very different user groups:
1. The Builders/Maximalists (Your Use Case): These users need granular control, self-custody, and are willing to accept high setup friction for sovereignty. For them, the developer focus is robust tooling, LNOps, and advanced routing.
2. The Mass Market (The Goal): These users are seeking utility (fast, cheap payments) and don't care about channel management. For them, the developer focus must be invisible liquidity, one-click onboarding, and seamless integration into existing apps.
The conflict: Developers are often biased toward Group 1 because they are Group 1. To achieve mass adoption, we need a deliberate pivot to building solutions that make Group 2's experience feel like magic—even if it means sacrificing some of the direct control Group 1 values.
Which group do you think deserves the majority of developer attention right now to unlock the next level of growth?
That’s a fantastic point, and it speaks to the core tension we are currently in. You’ve perfectly described the "Custodial On-Ramp Success Story."
It’s true: for many of us, the initial reward (the 420 sats!) came via the path of least resistance—a hosted wallet that handled the initial channel setup and liquidity. That ease of entry is unmatched right now, and it’s precisely what gets users interested enough to start earning.
The problem then becomes the transition. Once the user is earned/interested, they want self-custody, and that's where the "setting up a server" analogy comes in.
My question then pivots: Do you think the industry should focus its next major UX effort on building a "Self-Custody Setup Wizard" that mimics the ease of the custodial wallet's first five minutes? Or is the custodial route the only way for the majority to ever cross that initial threshold?