Accepting "Crappy" Software (Was: Slow Down Development, NO; Speed up Minds, YES)

[edunn -at- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com]

I think many miss the point when it comes to whether the market accepts bad
software and why.
At the beginning, clients rarely, if ever, have the choice between good and bad
software. Many times there is no choice.
If you are developing cutting edge software, the first to market becomes the
ONLY one on the market. By the time the competition arrives, they have to fight
the installed user base whether their product is better or not.
How many people use MSWord and not FrameMaker because it's what everyone has?
How many have based their choice of HAT or HTML editor on which is best as
opposed to which is industry standard or which is designed to work with their
existing (and possibly buggy) software? While you may be able to compare cars
and other consumer goods on the basis of value for money, most software is of
the Model T variety. Successful only because it's the first to market in
production numbers.
While now you wouldn't accept to purchase a half functional car, think of what
the first models of cars behaved like. Flat tires, blown engines, endless
maintenance, and prices only the independently wealthy could afford. Yet why did
consumers put up with these monstrosities? Because they had little other choice.
Unlike cars, software requires more investment than just the software. You
quickly get locked into file formats, operating systems, platforms, hardware,
training/familiarity, and software interoperability questions. So even when the
competition finally does catch up to the Model T, changing isn't just a matter
of ditching one and continuing with another as it is with cars, toasters, or
televisions. Once locked in, the competition has to blow the socks of the
"First-past-the-post" contender before they are even considered by the majority
of consumers. To add to the dismay of developers who come second to market is
the fact that the first to market may have already recouped development costs by
the time the second place product arrives. This means that the hurdle of being
priced miles above the competition also factors into the equation.
The moral? Deliver FIRST! Provide enough functionality to satisfy basic demands.
Deal with the problems later when your competition is filing for bankruptcy.
This is a scenario that has played out in every industry. When software stops
making leaps and bounds with each release (and it's happening), the software
industry will also mature. Or, more likely, consumers will start to demand more
value for their dollar than whiz-bang cutting edge technology.

Eric L. Dunn