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I view it differently. It's not that papercuts don't matter, it's that people tolerate papercuts when there is no viable alternative. Glitchy software with ma

by nkurz 3y ago

I view it differently. It's not that papercuts don't matter, it's that people tolerate papercuts when there is no viable alternative. Glitchy software with maddening defects is evidence of lack of competition. If a competitor was to offer a product that didn't have the defects but was able to accomplish the same real goals, they'd quickly take over the market. Failing to fix these annoyances shows that you are not worried about competitors. Sometimes this is a good business strategy, sometimes it will be your downfall.

notimetorelax 3y ago
Finding and dominating a niche is the best business strategy. I agree that glitchy and buggy software may serve as a way in for a new entrant, so once you got your customers it’s a good idea to keep raising the quality. Here’s a good example of a conglomerate who uses that strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVK2s80SfyM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVK2s80SfyM
- JohnFen 3y ago
  > Finding and dominating a niche is the best business strategy. I think that if you're a small fish swimming in a big, shark-infested pool, it's the only viable strategy.
EGreg 3y ago
I also constantly point this out on HN: We should consider more collaboration on open source software, rather than competition. Meaning, creating a competitor platform that many people contribute to like ants. Also open protocols and standards like HTTP, SMTP, EVM, etc. Wikipedia beat Britannica The Web beat AOL, MSN, etc. Linux and BSD beat proprietary platforms on many platforms (including Android) Science beat alchemy Often we think "more competition" is the only way, but collaboration and gift economies can over time beat closed silos that compete.
wpm 3y ago
Yeah these were my thoughts exactly when I read the article. Like sure, ok, most software works, but I don't think it's a waste of time or effort to strive for something beyond barely functional. It also only approaches this problem from the viewpoint of a developer. As a user of dozens and dozens of pieces of software daily, each with their own annoyances and weird behaviors that don't necessarily stop me from using it, that shit stacks up. I recently watched a bit of Triumph of the Nerds, and caught a snippet where Andy related a similar story to the camera: <https://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=Saving_Lives.txt https://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&stor...> 5 or 10 seconds at boot doesn't seem like a lot, but shit stacks up.
8n4vidtmkvmk 3y ago
the difference between two products is unlikely to be in papercuts only. the reality is that's there's an infinite # of bigger things that need fixing.

by nkurz 3y ago

notimetorelax 3y ago

Finding and dominating a niche is the best business strategy. I agree that glitchy and buggy software may serve as a way in for a new entrant, so once you got your customers it’s a good idea to keep raising the quality. Here’s a good example of a conglomerate who uses that strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVK2s80SfyM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVK2s80SfyM

JohnFen 3y ago
> Finding and dominating a niche is the best business strategy. I think that if you're a small fish swimming in a big, shark-infested pool, it's the only viable strategy.

EGreg 3y ago

I also constantly point this out on HN: We should consider more collaboration on open source software, rather than competition. Meaning, creating a competitor platform that many people contribute to like ants. Also open protocols and standards like HTTP, SMTP, EVM, etc. Wikipedia beat Britannica The Web beat AOL, MSN, etc. Linux and BSD beat proprietary platforms on many platforms (including Android) Science beat alchemy Often we think "more competition" is the only way, but collaboration and gift economies can over time beat closed silos that compete.

wpm 3y ago

Yeah these were my thoughts exactly when I read the article. Like sure, ok, most software works, but I don't think it's a waste of time or effort to strive for something beyond barely functional. It also only approaches this problem from the viewpoint of a developer. As a user of dozens and dozens of pieces of software daily, each with their own annoyances and weird behaviors that don't necessarily stop me from using it, that shit stacks up. I recently watched a bit of Triumph of the Nerds, and caught a snippet where Andy related a similar story to the camera: <https://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=Saving_Lives.txt https://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&stor...> 5 or 10 seconds at boot doesn't seem like a lot, but shit stacks up.

8n4vidtmkvmk 3y ago

the difference between two products is unlikely to be in papercuts only. the reality is that's there's an infinite # of bigger things that need fixing.