Transparent Technology
Stop arbitrarily changing software features on your users! Adapt your features to your consumers’ ecosystem.
In his seminal article, The Computer for the 21st Century, Mark Weiser proposed that in the future computer technology would be so ubiquitous that no one would notice it. Weiser’s prescient vision of computers has materialized in the form of the Internet of Things. IoT, in itself an ambiguous description of the technology, is the manifestation of accessible computer technology in industrial machines and beyond. The consumer demand for omnipresent internet enabled sensors supports Weiser’s definition of a technology woven into our everyday lives.
If the most profound innovations are those that we take for granted then why do we consider it a positive sign that board room discussions are increasingly focused on engineering and technology? Put another way, is the measure of success of a technologist determined by how little senior management talks about them?
One of the underlying tenets of Agile is that it cannot be limited in its adoption to just engineers. As agile has become one of the most popular square on buzzword Bingo cards, entire organizations have been reorganized to increase the productivity and effectiveness of engineering teams.
- Much like neuroprosthetics, the best technology may disrupt the status quo but they must appear natural to the user.
- If the consumer ecosystem changes then the product needs to change or else it will not appear transparent. Think of the arctic hare or the ptarmigan. They change color when the snow appears to continue to blend in. Otherwise they are conspicuous and vulnerable prey to hungry predators.
- In order to adapt transparently, evolving features must not be buggy or introduce bugs. Isn’t this like asking for having your cake and eating it too? Not if foundations are maintained.
