

"Stop building lame business applications" - bradgessler
http://blog.bradgessler.com/stop-building-lame-business-applications

======
whughes
Stop building lame mashups.

------
thafman
I genuinely thought that I would be clicking through to an insightful post
about how many crappy web-based "business productivity" apps that try and go
the 37signals/Fogcreek route to success, and why the glut in this market helps
no-one. Shame.

~~~
stcredzero
The problem with a lot of "business" apps, is that they're all really about
workflow and _control_. The emphasis is on _control_. Productivity is actually
a fairly low priority. If apps are really about productivity, then they tend
to get out of the way of users. If you want to control what your shop floor is
doing, then let them do what they want, but then keep an audit trail and write
reporting software. Use the organizational structure to exercise control.
Isn't that what it's for?

~~~
asher
I agree. When I worked on Cisco's printing system, CEPS, we sometimes heard
from users who wanted to lock down a particular printer so that "outsiders"
couldn't use it.

We never implemented that feature. CEPS provided usage logs, and if a user
felt that someone was hogging or abusing a printer, he could simply talk to
the abuser.

That's much more likely to have a successful outcome for the company than
putting up a technological barbed wire fence across someone's path.

------
mosburger
This is essentially why I left my job at a Financial institution several years
ago. I went to an online music startup, then became a consultant/contractor
when that went belly-up. Right now, I'm contracting with the very same company
that I left several years ago (albeit, I'm making twice as much).

It's strange how things work out sometimes.

------
JMiao
cool, the bing font.

