
I led the development of LANSA‘s flagship product Visual LANSA.
Myself and a team of brilliant developers created something quite extraordinary.
We stood on the shoulders of all those who went before, and reached for the stars.
Shortly after I left, the business was sold, and the money men arrived.
A different business model where cutting costs was the name of the game.
Some of my colleagues were let go immediately, and within a few months the development team was gutted.
Years of experience and knowledge replaced by cheaper offshore people with similar skills, but none of the experience and wisdom.
It’s effects are plain to see in the product today.
New features have been created that would never have passed muster, and expected functionality is missing.
They’re not show stoppers, but they speak of a fundamental truth of software ownership.
The code your developers write is part of something far bigger.
A software world populated by people, and it’s their rituals and practices that ensure your SAAS is ready to go to market.
Lose the people and you lose the knowledge.
If it isn’t written down, it’s gone for good, and you’ll pay the price.
Perhaps not straightaway, but one day you will.
And you’ll be acutely aware of it when the time comes.
So, is the software you’re making today, ready for the trials of tomorrow?
#MrSaaSSays
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