Don’t fight it, go with it….
One of the great things about building web-applications is how fluid not only the whole process is but how fluid business is in general.
Being a keen windsurfer, sailor and soon to be kite surfer, one thing I’ve learned is it’s futile to fight the wind, waves and tides. You need to adjust your course, react to what’s happening right now and never go against or fight anything. Rather embrace the changes in these elements and change course slightly.
I apply the same rules in creating web-applications. Sometimes where you start off is not where you end up, but where you end up is always better than where you thought you’d end up.
One of my favourite examples is Flickr. When John, Jason, Stewart and Cal kicked off their web-application it was called Game Never Ending (GNE). The interesting thing about GNE is it was an online multiplayer game! During its evolution the photo sharing part of the project was recognised by the team to have great value and all their energy changed course into it. I use this story because Yahoo proved that there are 35,000,000 reasons (they bought Flickr for $35 million) to don’t fight it, go with it!
You can probably think of some examples in your own life (business or personal) that when you run with changes that are happening around you that you cant change, the best thing to do is change course slightly and it always leads to a great place.
I’d love to hear of some examples of this happening to you that you’re happy to share on this blog.
Cheers,
Adrian
35,000,000 reasons to - don't fight it, go with it!
Yahoo pays $35mil for Flickr
I couldn’t agree more…
I think of a web application like a growing TREE. It starts small and with each ray of light and drop of water it adjusts itself to its environment and learns to grow and eventually give shelter & fruit to others. You could never predict how big or small a plant will grow or what kind of fruit & flower it will finally bear. Just like nature, life of a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is identical & determined by its users and typically has very little influence of the actual creator.
I see this happening across web applications and more traditional business areas too. Have you ever wondered what happens to your old Nokia or coke cans after it is recycled or for that matter a not so successful web applications? A little change in positioning and Wola – you have something new
Best, Sunny