Comments on: Make the tough stuff look simple http://effectivus.com/2010/01/make-the-tough-stuff-look-simple/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Technology product development, management & marketing Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:05:13 +0000 hourly 1 By: Chris http://effectivus.com/2010/01/make-the-tough-stuff-look-simple/comment-page-1/#comment-528 Chris Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:43:52 +0000 http://effectivus.com/?p=950#comment-528 Thanks Patrick, I love your comment about the release date. I think we could write a book on "The Mythical Release Date" - how software companies hit release schedules but never deliver a product... Thanks Patrick,
I love your comment about the release date. I think we could write a book on “The Mythical Release Date” – how software companies hit release schedules but never deliver a product…

]]> By: Patrick Masi http://effectivus.com/2010/01/make-the-tough-stuff-look-simple/comment-page-1/#comment-527 Patrick Masi Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:32:40 +0000 http://effectivus.com/?p=950#comment-527 "but adds to the complication for ever more." This can't be emphasized enough. I don't know how many times we've made the decision to drop the "nice to have" feature to make some release date, only to have to deal with the lack of that feature within weeks or days of making the decision to drop it. If you know a feature is going to be necessary because you know the user story like Chris describes it, go with your gut and include the feature. Without it, you're not REALLY making the release date like you say you are. “but adds to the complication for ever more.”

This can’t be emphasized enough. I don’t know how many times we’ve made the decision to drop the “nice to have” feature to make some release date, only to have to deal with the lack of that feature within weeks or days of making the decision to drop it.

If you know a feature is going to be necessary because you know the user story like Chris describes it, go with your gut and include the feature. Without it, you’re not REALLY making the release date like you say you are.

]]> By: Chris http://effectivus.com/2010/01/make-the-tough-stuff-look-simple/comment-page-1/#comment-523 Chris Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:06:06 +0000 http://effectivus.com/?p=950#comment-523 Thanks for the comment Bruno. Love it, I can hear the conversations now! You're right, of course, the realities of delivering a complex product to a wide range of users with all the commercial limits on what you can do means that simplicity is often "aspirational". You guys obviously sweat that a lot. My plea is to stop folks just adding complication because they can. So often the response to a user need is to stick a widget on the product which provides an immediate solution, but adds to the complication for ever more. Thanks for the comment Bruno. Love it, I can hear the conversations now!
You’re right, of course, the realities of delivering a complex product to a wide range of users with all the commercial limits on what you can do means that simplicity is often “aspirational”. You guys obviously sweat that a lot.
My plea is to stop folks just adding complication because they can. So often the response to a user need is to stick a widget on the product which provides an immediate solution, but adds to the complication for ever more.

]]> By: Bruno http://effectivus.com/2010/01/make-the-tough-stuff-look-simple/comment-page-1/#comment-522 Bruno Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:02:32 +0000 http://effectivus.com/?p=950#comment-522 I work on a product which is used by a wide variety of users, to do many different things. The usual response when discussing the proliferation of checkboxes and drop-down lists depends on who's responding: Sales: "Let's divide the product into different tiers and sell those at different prices, and break off some features into options at an extra charge." Engineering: "It's too hard to do this automatically, we won't slip the schedule if we just insert a user option." Product Management: "I don't want this product to be a collection of hacks and workaround to deal with bad input that doesn't conform to requirements or industry standards, how can we keep the interface clean and functional without breaking the release date?" QA: "I don't care whichever way you do it, just be aware that it's going to take a lot of time to test that automatic option." How does the poor user ever attain their ultimate quest in environments like that? I work on a product which is used by a wide variety of users, to do many different things. The usual response when discussing the proliferation of checkboxes and drop-down lists depends on who’s responding:

Sales: “Let’s divide the product into different tiers and sell those at different prices, and break off some features into options at an extra charge.”
Engineering: “It’s too hard to do this automatically, we won’t slip the schedule if we just insert a user option.”
Product Management: “I don’t want this product to be a collection of hacks and workaround to deal with bad input that doesn’t conform to requirements or industry standards, how can we keep the interface clean and functional without breaking the release date?”
QA: “I don’t care whichever way you do it, just be aware that it’s going to take a lot of time to test that automatic option.”

How does the poor user ever attain their ultimate quest in environments like that?

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