“And that, for me, is the key. Anyone can make something. But to make something great, you have to find the courage to ditch the things dribbling along at half-past average. I’ve spent the last few years juggling projects and hobbies, abandoning a few to let others shine. It hurts to give up, but I know that my small successes wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Sometimes, the right thing to do is to move on and not hang on.
Abandon your crap. You’ll be amazed at what thrives in its place.”

- http://modernerd.com/post/328572255/the-importance-of-abandoning-crap

I wrote a bit about the same thing here a while back.

“Your customer doesn’t care about any of the other crap that you want to throw onto the product page. Get rid of it; put it elsewhere. “

http://mattgemmell.com/2010/06/20/your-apps-website-sucks

Great article. And a really nice addition to the Fusion Network where we advertise often.

“Steve Jobs: You know… (long pause). I’m trying to think of a good analogy. When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks. But as people moved more towards urban centers, people started to get into cars. I think PCs are going to be like trucks. Less people will need them. And this is going to make some people uneasy.”

This dialog is about the iPad vs. the PC. But this conversation could not be relevant without the internet connected application.

Marco Arment on a competitor:

“I was asked for a comparison via email, and rather than pretend like a competitor doesn’t exist and keep silent about it on my blog, I’m comfortable addressing it (oh no! giving traffic and attention to a competitor!) and clarifying the differences.”

Bravery like this combined with clear-headedness is tough to come by. Read more

The internet has been awesome lately. It’s a great time to be a reader.

The shop I want.
This article cuts to the heart of ecommerce better than all the old “long tail” articles ever did. The real problem of online retail is how to take a commodity and make it precious. When everything is mass produced, and can be shipped anywhere cheaply you have only two options. Carry exclusive products, or curate your product selection so that people rely on your opinion. No more coasting. Having the product is not enough anymore. Keep Reading

Occasionally you read an article that feels like swallowing a chip sideways. It stops you; painful until you get it digested.

“There’s nothing wrong with the scientific study of usability. Until you pretend that it’s prescriptive, instead of descriptive. That something good for humans can be reduced to mathematical certainty.”

“Software cries out for personality, for ornamentation, for delight. To reflect higher aspirations, and evoke emotion. For designers who don’t think it’s silly to imagine software as a helping hand, rather than a tool to be used.”

You should go read the rest now…

If you don’t read The 99 percent you should start. They’re pitch-perfect and useful so often. This article however, I think needs some clarification. Quotes like this:

“Sometimes it’s best to launch a product before it’s perfect.”

bother me for two reasons.

• First, even presuming an application can be perfect is silly. Get it out of your head. They’re never done. Building an application is closer to growing a garden than it is to building a house.
• Second, it puts the emphasis on the wrong things. Building an application is about getting it right not about getting it perfect.

The article uses our favorite example company Apple to prove a few points. Like Apple launching the iPhone without Copy/Paste as an example of putting a non-perfect product onto the market. But I think this concentrates on the wrong side of things. Copy/Paste, and a thousand other things were not right on the iPhone, so Apple omitted them.

Courage and taste come from omitting what’s not right. Perfection, like an absolute grid in physics, is a pointless metaphor that only confuses the reality of the situation. The design of applications, or anything for that matter, requires rigid standards, and an unerring willingness to omit any single item that does not meet those standards.

The focus on maximum greatness is a red herring. We believe the real trick is to focus on the minimum acceptable answer that meets very high standards.

And Scott, (who I totally do not know) -sorry to disagree if you should read this. I usually agree wholeheartedly with everything else you say…

Lots of good bits here: http://the99percent.com/tips/6103/the-40-30-30-rule-why-risk-is-worth-it

Like this:

“My coach explained, though, that if I wasn’t falling at least once a day in training, I wasn’t trying hard enough.”

Great idea from Jesse at Hogbay Software. He has a new page on his site that lays out exactly the quickest and best ways to get support, and what to expect when you do. This is especially great:

“If you have an idea for improving my apps please send it. I read all email and forum postings, and they effect what I’m working on, but I’m not likely to respond directly.”

Unlike some in the web app business, we love hearing new ideas for our apps. They’re like a gift in email format. But it is sometimes tough to convey our love, sympathy, empathy, regret, and joy in a new creative way for each idea sent.

Read more about Jesse’s support ideas

“The food was so cheap and available that it is thought that most Pompeians simply didn’t bother including a kitchen in their homes.” When a product is readily available, and readily affordable, consumers will learn to rely on nothing else.

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