| "Consumers prefer to be spoon-fed changes with | | | | introduced in 1971, beginning with our Information |
| teaspoons." | | | | Systems Engineering Methodology (ISEM). And by |
| - Bryce's Law | | | | doing so, MBA created the methodology market. I |
| INTRODUCTION | | | | could go on and on as to all of the concepts and |
| Not too long ago Panasonic's corporate slogan was, | | | | innovations we introduced, e.g., first commercial |
| "Just slightly ahead of our time." It was catchy and it | | | | methodology, first to take an engineering |
| inferred their products were on the cutting edge of | | | | manufacturing approach, first data dictionary, etc., but |
| the industry. There was only one problem with this, | | | | suffice it to say people said we were years ahead of |
| as Panasonic found out, people feel uncomfortable | | | | our time. |
| using products ahead of their time. Consequently, | | | | The competition wasn't far behind either, as other |
| their slogan was changed to, "Ideas for Life." But this | | | | commercial methodologies were introduced as well as |
| essay is not so much about slogans as it is about | | | | structured programming techniques and data |
| marketing products ahead of their time. The | | | | dictionary systems. I could easily argue how "PRIDE" |
| marketing graveyard is full of fine examples of | | | | was superior in so many ways, but as I mentioned |
| products that were introduced and considered ahead | | | | before, consumers are not really interested. Instead, |
| of their time: | | | | they selected cheaper alternatives which were |
| Sony's Betamax video recorder was introduced in the | | | | implemented badly. Regardless, they thought they |
| mid-1970's and was well regarded as a superior and | | | | had purchased a bargain. |
| quality product over its competition. The VHS format | | | | Based on legal advice, we originally sold "PRIDE" as a |
| ultimately unseated the Betamax though, not | | | | proprietary product requiring the use of a |
| because of superior quality but primarily due to | | | | nondisclosure agreement to be made privy to its |
| cheaper costs. In less than ten years Betamax was | | | | contents. This was both good and bad. It was good |
| gone. | | | | in the sense it allowed us to protect the product |
| Xerox's Star computer was introduced in 1981. It was | | | | from misappropriation (which was tested in a court |
| also a quality product that was ahead of its time, | | | | of law), but it was bad in the sense we were |
| featuring a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that was | | | | handcuffed from disseminating information on how it |
| copied by Apple, Microsoft, and just about everyone | | | | worked. While MBA was restrained from public |
| else. | | | | disclosure our competition propagated their products |
| The GRiD Compass 1101 computer was released in | | | | through the media. So much so, that "PRIDE" faded |
| 1982 and is the first true laptop as we understand it | | | | from public view. |
| today, with a sleek design that included a screen that | | | | As the first in the industry, we made our money |
| closed on top of the keyboard, a built-in modem, | | | | early on and invested a lot of it back into the |
| bubble memory, and it ran on batteries. But the | | | | product in the form of research and development. |
| product wasn't cheap and sold for upwards to | | | | Consequently, "PRIDE" evolved into a much larger |
| $10,000 making it prohibitive to purchase for the | | | | product that now tackles issues such as Enterprise |
| average business person. Even worse, it didn't | | | | Engineering and Data Base Engineering. Frankly, it |
| support the IBM PC architecture making it | | | | became more robust than the average person could |
| incompatible with popular programs of the day. | | | | assimilate which is one reason why, in 2004, we |
| IBM has also had its fair share of products that were | | | | finally put it in the public domain through the Internet. |
| ahead of its time and met premature deaths; | | | | As I have written in the past, the market has |
| including their Token Ring LAN which was ultimately | | | | changed considerably over the last 35 years since |
| supplanted by Ethernet. IBM's PS/2 line of computers | | | | "PRIDE" was introduced. The people have changed, |
| was introduced in 1987 as a means to recapture the | | | | the technology has changed, but the problems |
| PC market. The PS/2 included a proprietary | | | | haven't, e.g.; the backlog of user information |
| "Microchannel Architecture" which, although advanced | | | | requirements has gotten longer, not shorter; systems |
| and sophisticated, led to its demise from competitive | | | | still lack integration; companies are plagued by |
| "open"offerings. And finally, we have IBM's OS/2 | | | | redundant information resources; lack of |
| operating system which was also introduced in the | | | | documentation; fire fighting is still the common mode |
| late 1980's and was the first 32-bit operating system | | | | of operating; projects come in late and over budget, |
| for the PC platform. OS/2 was miles ahead of | | | | etc. |
| everything else (and arguably still is). Nonetheless, its | | | | Recently, I was giving a "PRIDE" presentation to a |
| strengths became its weaknesses as it was deemed | | | | startup company with some rather young analysts |
| too sophisticated for the average user; this coupled | | | | and programmers who are not as well versed in the |
| with aggressive marketing by Microsoft and | | | | history of the industry as I am. All they knew was |
| incompetent marketing by IBM led to its doom. | | | | basically what their college professors and instructors |
| LESSONS LEARNED | | | | had taught them. I didn't do anything fancy, I just |
| What can be learned from these experiences? Three | | | | explained the basic "PRIDE" concepts such as |
| things: | | | | Information Driven Design, Standard System |
| 1. | | | | Structure, Layered Documentation, the System/Data |
| A product doesn't have to be superior in order to | | | | Relationship, IRM, etc. I kept it simple and to the |
| dominate a market; all that is required is just a little | | | | point and this perplexed one of the attendees who |
| marketing hustle. You have to remember, the | | | | approached me after the session and said, "I have |
| consumer believes all products of the same ilk are | | | | been attending a lot of seminars and conferences |
| essentially the same. If it comes down to | | | | lately on these subjects. I learned more in the last |
| technologically superior features or cost, the | | | | three hours than from all of the sessions I attended |
| consumer will always take the cheaper product. | | | | over the last five months. Where have you been?" |
| Advanced features are nice, but the consumer must | | | | Naturally, I was flattered by his comments but |
| believe they are warranted and add value to their | | | | explained how the industry lost its way over the |
| lives. | | | | years and is only now trying to reinvent systems |
| 2. | | | | theory. I told him there was really nothing new or |
| For broad market acceptance, the product must be | | | | magical in developing systems, so long as you |
| built on open standards. This was the hard lesson IBM | | | | demand precise terminology and clarity of concepts. I |
| learned in building its products. | | | | said, "Don't look for cryptic solutions, there is no |
| 3. | | | | panacea. The best solutions are the simple solutions." |
| Consumers prefer to be spoon-fed changes with | | | | As I traveled home I thought about the comments |
| teaspoons. It takes real visionaries to adopt new | | | | made by the class and considered where "PRIDE" |
| ideas and, unfortunately, they are few and far | | | | stood in relation to the rest of the industry we |
| between. The consumer wants simple solutions they | | | | created. By staying the course "PRIDE" may not be |
| can easily assimilate. Remember, most people are | | | | the best known methodology out there, but it is still |
| afraid of major changes of any kind. | | | | light years ahead of the industry. Such is the price of |
| Let's also recognize that being first in your field is not | | | | being ahead of your time. |
| easy in that you are ultimately inventing and | | | | CONCLUSION |
| cultivating your own market place. Inevitably you will | | | | As mentioned, "PRIDE" has evolved into a substantial |
| make marketing mistakes along the way which | | | | body of work which is one reason why we went |
| copycat competitors will leap on. Further, they will | | | | public with it. By itself, there is enough material to |
| offer inferior products at a greatly reduced price. We | | | | make a full college curriculum out of it. And hopefully |
| have seen this time and again in the I.T. industry | | | | this will happen. |
| alone. | | | | But the other reason we put "PRIDE" in the public |
| The only true benefit of being the first in your field is | | | | domain was to establish an open standard thereby |
| that you have the market to yourself, at least for a | | | | overcoming one of the deficiencies I mentioned |
| while. During this period of time you should rake in as | | | | earlier. |
| much money as possible, refine your product, and | | | | "PRIDE" is still way ahead of itself. It will probably |
| expand the market as much as possible. And if you're | | | | always be so. But as we celebrate our 35th year of |
| making money, you can be sure competitors won't | | | | business I have come to realize that "PRIDE" is so |
| be far behind. | | | | old, that it is new to those people who were born |
| "PRIDE" | | | | after it was introduced. As Milt liked to say, "The |
| Our company has learned these lessons the hard | | | | original and still the best. |
| way. The "PRIDE" Methodologies for IRM were first | | | | |