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I still don't see what "having fun" has to do with "solving customer needs": often customer needs are boring, esoteric, poorly-specified, and technically uninte

by neilc 16y ago

I still don't see what "having fun" has to do with "solving customer needs": often customer needs are boring, esoteric, poorly-specified, and technically uninteresting -- exactly the opposite of the sort of thing you'd do to "have fun".

seanellis 16y ago
Solving customer needs takes creativity. If you are having fun, you are more creative.
- Aetius 16y ago
  Creativity is often the result of great adversity. But in a roundabout way, you're right (but probably not in the way you think). See, by having fun, you're wasting time you should be spending solving the problem. Then just before the deadline, you miraculously solve the problem. Your fun beget your laziness,which beget your desperation,which beget your creativity.
  - seanellis 16y ago
    Fun might be the wrong word. My key point is that you'll be more productive and effective if you are loose and enjoying the process.
- skmurphy 16y ago
  Dave Snowden has a theory that innovation is triggered by starvation of resources, time pressure for a result, and a shift in perspective. See http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/2006/10/culture_and_innovation.php http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/2006/10/culture_and... where he makes the point Creativity is just one way, and not necessarily the most effective to achieve perspective shift. In fact I am increasingly of the opinion that creativity is not a cause of innovation, but a property of innovation processes, its something that you can use as evidence of innovation, but not to create it. He has some interesting short videos up on http://www.youtube.com/user/CognitiveEdge http://www.youtube.com/user/CognitiveEdge that address innovation issues.
- edanm 16y ago
  This might be true, but coming up with solutions to customer needs is a very small part of making software. Most of the day is filled with programming, i.e. translating your vision into actual software.

by neilc 16y ago

seanellis 16y ago

Solving customer needs takes creativity. If you are having fun, you are more creative.

Aetius 16y ago
Creativity is often the result of great adversity. But in a roundabout way, you're right (but probably not in the way you think). See, by having fun, you're wasting time you should be spending solving the problem. Then just before the deadline, you miraculously solve the problem. Your fun beget your laziness,which beget your desperation,which beget your creativity.
- seanellis 16y ago
  Fun might be the wrong word. My key point is that you'll be more productive and effective if you are loose and enjoying the process.
skmurphy 16y ago
Dave Snowden has a theory that innovation is triggered by starvation of resources, time pressure for a result, and a shift in perspective. See http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/2006/10/culture_and_innovation.php http://www.cognitive-edge.com/blogs/dave/2006/10/culture_and... where he makes the point Creativity is just one way, and not necessarily the most effective to achieve perspective shift. In fact I am increasingly of the opinion that creativity is not a cause of innovation, but a property of innovation processes, its something that you can use as evidence of innovation, but not to create it. He has some interesting short videos up on http://www.youtube.com/user/CognitiveEdge http://www.youtube.com/user/CognitiveEdge that address innovation issues.
edanm 16y ago
This might be true, but coming up with solutions to customer needs is a very small part of making software. Most of the day is filled with programming, i.e. translating your vision into actual software.