I founded the StoryComplete blog in March 2010 to use my 30 years of software industry experience to do work that matters: helping software companies build the skills they need to get off the sidelines, re-enter the game and win.
- The software industry game
- Pushed to the sidelines
- Playing the game matters
- The StoryComplete blog
- The future’s like the past, only different
The software industry game
Once upon a time it was lucrative to play the software industry game. We sold functionality at excellent margins. Annual maintenance was steady money for (rather) little work. Technology advanced at a manageable pace. The peer community dispensed recognition. Growth was steady and life was good.
But then the software game changed. In many niches FOSS has turned functionality into a commodity. SaaS upsets perpetual licensing, while annual maintenance is increasingly suspect. The community scattered as global players bought and consolidated. Innovation quickened. New business slowed.
Pushed to the sidelines
Many software companies resisted these changes. They dreamed their niche was a special case. That the new rules of the game wouldn’t apply. A fatal focus on functionality left them unable to compete against global players playing by other rules. Faltering sales and lower maintenance left no room to manoeuver.
Innovation has sidelined many formerly profitable software companies. The rules of the software industry game changed as new players entered. Tried and trusted tools and tactics don’t work as well as before. Will it only be the others who get to play the software game in future? Are we doomed to reminiscing?
Playing the game matters
No. You can (must!) re-enter the software industry game. It won’t be easy to leave the sidelines, re-enter the game and win. Doing so matters, however, and not just to you; it matters to us as well.
The industry has changed dramatically since I joined in 1980. Our tools and technology are remarkable. However, without competition and a diverse set of market players we wouldn’t have most of them today. While an industry with just a few global players is in their interest, it’s not in our interest.
The StoryComplete blog
As I mentioned earlier, in March 2010 I launched the StoryComplete blog to do work that matters: helping software companies to explore and share the skills they need to get off the sidelines, re-enter the game and win.
And what’ll it take? What’s to learn? Well: spread stories, don’t rely on facts. See that emotions and wants are replacing functions and needs (yes, even for B2B). Stop interrupting and start earning permission. Open up and collaborate.
The future’s like the past, only different
The software game has changed for ever, with evolving rules and aggressive new players. The good old days are history. Even so, it’s still about software; that’ll never change. And if we know and understand anything, it’s software.
So, time to leave the sidelines and start to build your skills, re-enter the game and win. Come on, it’ll be fun. Let’s start today…
