Software as Cultural Performance

Los Toure from Danger Testing joined us for something completely different. Instead of our usual interview format, he performed three of his apps live, turning the audience into participants in his cultural experiments. Working with co-founder Marc Müller, Danger Testing operates on a radical thesis: with AI making software faster and cheaper to build, apps can become cultural artifacts rather than products built for retention.

They drop a new app every Thursday, treating software development like a band releases songs. Their viral hits include vandalizing friend.com subway ads, a digital Labubu you hang on your hip, and an app that turns your camera roll into a TikTok feed with AI-generated captions. Software becomes a medium for cultural commentary and self-expression.

At a glance

Danger Testing has shipped 50+ apps in one year, dropping a new one every Thursday like a band releases songs. Their vandalizefriend.com project went viral by letting people digitally vandalize friend.com subway ads throughout NYC. Apps don’t need retention or traditional metrics when optimized for cultural resonance and shareability. AI tools like Claude enable building software fast enough to react to cultural moments while they’re still relevant. The “apper” category positions creators who use software as their artistic medium, not just utility. Making users “the main character” creates more engagement than passive consumption of traditional media. Speed beats polish when capturing cultural moments that might only last days or weeks. Designers who’ve never built apps before can contribute by treating interface design like other creative mediums.

Topics

The app as cultural artifact: why software can be disposable

Traditional apps optimize for retention, daily active users, and long-term engagement. Danger Testing optimizes for cultural resonance and shareability instead. “Retention is the old world,” Los explained during the live performance. “Companies make their money by keeping your eyes on the phone as much as possible. I can make my dollar by providing you value in 3 minutes and you enriching your own life and feeling cool.” Their apps function more like songs or viral content than traditional software products. Users might engage for minutes rather than months, but those minutes create shareable moments worth posting on Instagram.

Building at the speed of culture with AI acceleration

The economics of software development have fundamentally shifted with AI tools. Where apps once required months of development, Danger Testing can build and ship in days using tools like Claude. “Sometimes Mark will text me Sunday night about a cultural moment, and we’ll scrap our whole planned app to build something new,” Los shared. This speed enables them to capture cultural moments while they’re still relevant. When Timothée Chalamet’s Zoom call went viral, they quickly built Zoom Timothée, letting users join a recreated version of that same chaotic meeting with AI-generated participants.

App performances: Zoom Timothée, My Brainrot, and Girl Hinge

Los demonstrated three apps live, treating each as a performance rather than a traditional demo. Zoom Timothée recreated Chalamet’s viral Zoom meeting, complete with his desktop and chaotic participants. My brainrot transformed personal camera rolls into TikTok-style feeds with AI commentary like “realizing I’m the only one who showed up to class.” Girl Hinge let male users experience dating apps as women, complete with terrible pickup lines from AI-generated characters. Each app made audience members the protagonist rather than passive observers.

Making everyone the main character instead of passive observers

Traditional media positions audiences as observers of other people’s stories. Danger Testing’s apps make users the protagonist of cultural moments. “When you saw Seinfeld and Frasier on TV, you sort of relate to George, but it’s not really you,” Los explained. Their approach transforms users from voyeurs into participants. The My brainrot app exemplified this perfectly, making users feel like their own lives were worth celebrating rather than comparing themselves to TikTok influencers.

The weekly drop cadence: treating software like music releases

Danger Testing operates like a band rather than a traditional startup, releasing new apps every Thursday. This consistent cadence creates anticipation in their community while helping the creators overcome creative paralysis. “The cadence helps me be less scared,” Los shared. “I’m not built different, I’m just building different.” The weekly rhythm forces rapid experimentation and prevents perfectionism from slowing down cultural commentary. Just like audiences anticipate what Saturday Night Live will cover in the news each week, users look forward to what Danger Testing will drop with software.

From t-shirt designers to app creators: expanding who can build software

AI tools are democratizing software creation beyond traditional engineers. Danger Testing works with designers who’ve never built apps before, treating interface design like any other creative medium. “Someone who made t-shirts designed one of our apps, which is actually very sick,” Los mentioned. A friend who’s typically a writer created the storylines for the terrible guys in Girl Hinge. The collaborative approach mirrors how bands work together, with different roles contributing to the final product. Los encourages others to start their own “app bands” rather than going solo.

Overcoming creative fear through structured output

Creative paralysis affects everyone, but Los found that consistent output helps overcome it. The weekly release schedule eliminates the pressure to make each app perfect, since another one drops seven days later. “Everyone in here has real life experience, you have a story to tell,” he told the audience. “Maybe I can use software as a way to tell my story. Maybe someone else can download my life.” The key insight: fear diminishes when you commit to regular creation rather than waiting for the perfect moment or idea.

Why retention metrics miss the point of cultural software

Traditional app metrics focus on keeping users engaged for as long as possible, but Danger Testing values impact over time spent. A three-minute experience that makes someone feel cooler and gives them something to share with friends can be more valuable than hours of passive consumption. Los compared their approach to movies: “You can derive the same value from 3 minutes of this than you would a 2-hour movie on Netflix that you actually don’t enjoy, that doesn’t empower you.” Cultural software succeeds when it creates moments worth capturing and sharing.

Building the future category of appstars

Los positions himself as an “apper” rather than a traditional founder, using software as his artistic medium the same way musicians use sound. He envisions a future where people graduate from computer science programs and choose to become appstars instead of joining traditional companies. “There’s going to be like an Odd Future of apps, or like Jack Boys, or like Brockhampton where everyone has a different role and something different to bring,” he predicted. The category combines technical skills with cultural intuition and creative storytelling.

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Los - Appstar at Danger Testing

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