When a new product or application is introduced, reviews and discussions place much weight on what they don't do, compared to what they do.
I suppose that's human nature, looking for the deficiencies. But from a business point of view, no one has the luxury of waiting until their widget is perfect before its release. The phrase, "Real artists ship," comes to mind.
Once the new product is out there, its creator can garner feedback, prioritize improvements, and release updated versions. With good products and designers, this cycle continues indefinitely.
I'm thinking about this as I work with Photos for macOS and the DxO ONE camera. Both are produced by solid companies with track records of improvement. Neither, in my opinion, received the positive attention they deserved with their initial releases.
Photos is an innovative, extensible application that is taking real shape with version 2.0. It dares to be different, just like the DxO camera that plugs into an iPhone. And now, with its latest firmware update, can be controlled remotely via WiFi. Apple, nor DxO is charging more for the new features. And both have added many over the last year.
While writing the update to the Apple Photos Book for Photographers, I added chapters eleven and twelve. In one of them I talk about how kids react to the software. I rarely hear them complain about what it doesn't do. Instead, they learn its capabilities and mold those features to their needs. It's a wonderful process to observe. And they do it with enthusiasm.
And it makes me wonder, when the rest of us became so crotchety?
My basic philosophy for life is to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. There's a certain balance to this approach that keeps me from being both too naive or cynical.
The optimist in me loves to champion causes that have been overlooked or dismissed. I latch on to them because I see their potential. That's what I look for first, not the deficiencies. (When we observe our kids, do we judge them for what they haven't done yet?)
There are very few things in life that are minted perfect. Yet many of us continue to push ourselves toward that goal, realizing that if we even get close, it was worth the effort.
-Derrick
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