Reply
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Quote
Enterprise software sucks.
We don’t talk about it much here at hn, but think about it. Every man-made object you encounter every day was manufactured somewhere. And moved, more than once. Now add in all the sales, marketing, customer service, operations, accounting, finance, human resources, etc., etc., etc. needed to support that manufacturing and distribution. Next, add financial markets, healthcare, energy, entertainment, etc., etc., etc. and you have tons of stuff. But you don’t see it and rarely think about it. Kinda like most of the iceberg being underwater.
And all of this needs software. And most of what they have sucks. I mean really sucks. Enterprise software is so bad that there are multi-billion dollar industries devoted to consulting on how to use it, how to share it, and how to store it in data warehouses and harvest it. It’s so bad that lots of people have to dump the data out of their enterprise systems and into Microsoft Excel just to get anything done.
When Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks, he said because that’s where the money is.
What banks were in the 1930’s, enterprise IT is in the 21st century.
via Hacker News
In our ongoing theme around the challenges of enterprise tech (to put it mildly), we found this classic thread from Hacker News from a few years back. Guess what? Nothing much as changed.
At Enhatch, we are doing our very best to rethink the way business apps get created and deployed to users. For one, we believe most needs in the enterprise could easily be handled by elegantly crafted apps that are available on mobile devices. That is where employees are spending more and more of their day doing work and the device they are most comfortable with. But more importantly, why are we not giving business users the ability to create their own apps and their own processes that conform to the way they work? Maybe users, and not IT department or outside consultants, know best as to what they want and when they need it and how to get it done.
It is time we rob the enterprise IT vendors and raid the armies of the systems integrators, and like Robin Hood bring joy, riches, and freedom to the users from the tyranny of bad technology.
(via enhatch)
Link
I love Android as much as the next non-Apple owning guy, but there are times when I get bored of using the same old operating system, and seeing the same boring old notifications.
Consider this your official heads up about these cool notification apps.
I also really need to stop UI-hacking my Android but it’s just so much damn fun. New toy: I found a widget program that let’s you write your own little apps on the device using a custom language to access all the system data. Amazing. Reminds me of when I used to compete in ResExcellence contests for having the most mod’ed Mac OS.
Link
Boy, how times have changed for the venture capital market over the last decade. Here are a few of the overriding trends (according to data collected by the National Venture Capital Association over the years): The number of VC firms has materially reduced The mix of VC firms has polarized away from the middle, […]
Short but useful summary of the state of VC and how it impacts early-stage companies.
What The Evolving VC Market Means For Startups Raising Capital
Quote
Customer complaints generally have a loose but inverse negative correlation to return on invested capital,” Wolfe Research analyst Hunter Keay says, noting that well-liked JetBlue Airways (JBLU), Virgin America, and Southwest Airlines (LUV) lag financially. “The commitment to make the customer happy costs money.” Keay says the low-cost model rightly treats airfare as a utility. “There really does not need to be a service component attached to consuming airfare.
The Most Hated U.S. Airline Is Also the Most Profitable via BloombergBusinessweek
As painful as this is to read from someone that has spent much of his professional career touting the benefits of CRM, customer care, and the importance of fostering loyalty through superior service, there is an important truth. The lowest cost providers in most sectors can also be financially successful. but it is a ruthless business where you are shaving costs everywhere to eek out margins. Thus you are squeezing customer, employees, partners, vendors, and investors. It becomes a numbers game where it is about delivering the least amount of value while still maintaining a steady stream of business.
Long-term however, it is hard to see how these models succeed given the massive churn. For every other business that is not chasing the absolute cellar in terms of price and service, the best play is to invest in your customers and create a great experience.
(via marksbirch)
Image
“The history of flat design: How efficiency and minimalism turned the digital world flat” via TheNextWeb
Good read on the non-rounded path that lead us to flat design.
Link
Can a startup wunderkind save his startup, Clinkle?
Long but very thorough read. Very curious to see how the actual app looks and works.
A SILICON VALLEY DISASTER: A 21-Year-Old Stanford Kid Got $30 Million, Then Everything Blew Up
Quote
In mobile we see simple, clear, snackable experiences winning,” says Matt Murphy, who manages the app-focused iFund at venture capital shop Kleiner Perkins. “When you introduce complexity, it can dilute the overall experience.
“Why Facebook is making it hard to chat with your friends” via Wired
Good article that covers how the Facebook app has grown up to the point that it now needs to break apart to match the “snackable” expectations of users.
Link
Amazing article and interview. Avoid the comments.
Bill Gates: The Rolling Stone Interview | Culture | Rolling Stone
#neato 