Depth and Elegance vs. Breadth and Brute Force
I’ve used too many companies’ products and services that do a lot, but do very little very well. Microsoft is a great example of this - being everything to everyone. Jennifer Rice wrote on this topic, being all things to all people, a topic that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. When I look at an information technology product and/or vendor I ask the questions: What is your niche? What is your direction? Where have you been? Where are you going to take me? How are you going to do it? How have you done this for others? Don’t convince me, show me. The answers are all too often unconvincing, general, vague and disconcerting to me. I feel that many technology companies are too shallow, focusing on breadth instead of depth, their marketing trying to use marketing spin to sell me in-the-moment on all the bells and whistles. I’d rather they show me they have a strong history, that they grok the business and are interested in building a mutually beneficial long-term relationship. It is the difference between a brute force and an elegant approach.
Being all things to everyone isn’t easy. And it isn’t easy to actually successfully do so. Maybe that failure isn’t obvious to a customer, but you know have you have failed them. Generalities, missed opportunities, lack of foresight, poor planning, introduction of inconsistencies, etc. can be extremely detrimental to achieving the potential of your clients’ businesses. Have an expertise and continually build on it. It seems this can be beneficial to individuals and organizations alike, and most beneficial to the ongoing relationship with your customers. Is your business a graphic design, software development, or marketing firm? For what vertical(s)? Fashion, medical, industrial, scientific, entertainment, mass media? Are you an information architect, project manager, graphic designer, software developer, account manager, etc.? I think the most important thing is not to be afraid to say I don’t know, thats not my/our expertise. Let’s find an expert in that area.
If you are everything to everyone, then naturally you have a lot of competition - everyone is your competition! Narrowing and clearly defining your expertise limits your competition and builds the business case for your products and services to your clients. A company that might have been competition before could now be a valuable partner, that may help you improve your client’s business and in turn your own business. This allows you to focus your client’s present and future needs and continually build on your relationship. Your clients will want to upgrade to the new version of your software when they continually see well-thought-out, valuable improvements. They will respect your advice when it is based on knowledge and wisdom, not conjecture, and perpetually improves their business.
Investing time and money in a company’s product or service should be about building a on-going relationship. It is for the good of your and your clients’ businesses. I’ll even go out on a limb to say that it is for the betterment of society. I’m not saying companies don’t do this at all - some do. I challenge more companies in the technology industry to focus on depth and elegance instead of breadth and brute force.
