Sidusa Systems Micro Blog

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DataStax Cassandra 2011 Conference

Visited the DataStax Cassandra 2011 Conference a couple of weeks ago.  Very worthwhile, spent quite a bit of time discussing specific data modeling paradigm's for time series data.  Slides from the conference can be found here http://www.datastax.com/events/cassandranyc2011/presentations.

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Blogs that we like.

Just some blogs that we have found useful:

http://blog.dberg.org : Adam Deneberg's Blog of obscure and hard to find solutions: 

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Software Development : Maintain focus at all costs.

I have worked as a consultant and architect on numerous software development projects over the past 20 years, and one thing that I can say is that I don't have enough fingers to count the times that I have seen good ideas completely lost in the early phases of software development and product design.  

It takes a great deal of discipline and focus to avoid the over thinking syndrome.  It usually starts with a good idea, followed by questioning that idea, which in itself is a very good thing until you find yourself trying to build a product that serves every user under every scenario, and you find your self trying to out-do every other product that even remotely serves a similar need.

In reality, most ideas are not new, if you look closely you will often find any number of products that cover at least part of what you are trying to offer.  Once you start picking bits and pieces of competitive products and add them to yours, set the final outcome is typically a muddled, expensive, confusing and complicated mess of disjointed features, rather than a product that actually serves the needs of your users.

The question I always ask myself and my clients is this.  "Ok, product X which is somewhat similar, and has a lot of traction has this feature, it seems really cool, but - would I actually use it?"  In theory yes, it sounds great, but in practice - "Would I really use it?"  After all,  I spend most of my day answering emails, running to meetings, cultivating new ideas and trying to spend time with my children.   "Do I even have time to use it even though it seems useful?"  

"Would the lack of this feature really cause all the consumers of my product to suddenly stop using it and run screaming in another direction?"

More times than not after careful examination, your answer will be no.  You will also eventually discover that most of the features that were not part of your original heartfelt vision really aren't that necessary in the scheme of things.

So, after coming to this conclusion what do we do next?  Typically, we second guess it.  Run the idea by someone else, and undoubtedly we receive a consistent answer - "I dunno, that is a really cool feature, I really think you should include it."   Why? Most people think in terms of cool features rather than useable features.

I have seen many projects start with a great vision, evolve into something much more complex and costly, only to eventually devolve back to the original idea after thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars have been wasted.

How can you escape the syndrome?

STAY FOCUSED

QUESTION THE NEED FOR EVERY FEATURE

GET REAL USER FEEDBACK

REVIEW THAT FEEDBACK OBJECTIVELY

REMEMBER YOUR VISION

To be clear I am not suggesting that we should be closed minded, and that we should ignore criticism and suggestions altogether.  On the contrary, be open minded, listen to criticism, feedback and suggestions, take them in, and review them objectively within the context of your original vision.  After all, if your vision was actually strong enough to get you to take concrete action, it was probably a pretty decent vision to start with.

As far as I am concerned the is nothing better than real user feedback.  That is "real user feedback" which is very different from "theoretical user feedback"  

Give your users enough, just enough to serve a need well, and over time listen objectively to their comments and suggestions.  Only then,  when they are actually ready for more give it to them.

Today our world is cluttered with useless apps, and services, and  very few are actually used on a regular basis.  Stay focused and separate your product by building something that is truly useful.

And by all means, build something that you would actually use yourself.

Kevin Williams,  Sidusa Systems, Inc.

http://www.sidusa.com