Getting Real (Chapter 5)

The concepts surrounding Chapter 5 refers to handling application features and feature request of customers. I agree to the bottom line that 37Signals are saying “Build products and offer services you can manage. It’s easy to make promises. It’s much harder to keep them. Make sure whatever it is that you’re doing is something you can actually sustain – organizationally, strategically, and financially.”, this quote is something one should always remember because in reality, it actually make sense. When you create or do something, you should prove to people that you can actual succeeded in it or work with it all the way. I also like the idea of ‘asking people what they do not like’, it is simple and I think it is worth to try it. Similarly, the topic highlighting the purposes of having simple features in an application, I guess it is alright to build simple applications that will also encourage people or users to think a little.

One of the things that I learned from Chapter 5 and leave me surprised is the way 37Signals handle hundreds of feature request from customers. For this kind of people, they advise their readers to somehow ignore those suggested features of an application by the customers and to say the word ‘no’ to them. I agree that it is really hard to be filled and bombarded with orders like insert this, do this, include this, can we incorporate it; it is not easy to create and create features of an application. Although, it is really hard to say ‘no’ especially to your customers who gives you money. In addition to, I now knew what is a “feature loop” is, I admit that it sounded new to me. As for the “It just doesn’t matter” answer by 37Signals; it is entertaining. My only comment is: Sorry to the customers if the features they suggest is not permitted because after all it is not important to the application – sounds like 37Signals.