The developer formerly known as the user
Ok so we have all heard about agile and it's benefits over waterfall as a development strategy. We can also now see how that agility has enabled rapid delivery and public betas to create social feedback that helps shape new products. But how about taking this further into a new zone, a zone that punches back through beta and splits alpha into mashable fragments, software that users construct for themselves...
This is the 'pipe' dream (sorry couldn't resist the pun) we are witnessing emerge from the web 2.0 cauldron, and holds big changes particularly for businesses and the next the enterprises. Here is why it works ; rather than trying to conjure up some idea for a product or service that might or might not be wanted by the market place, let the market place decide what it is they need and help them build it, simple really. We are going back to Adam Smith's, consumption leading production, even though the producers think they are in control it is always the consumers that make the market.
This will of course be disruptive for those producers who prefer to dictate products and services and catastrophic for those trying to dominate or own markets. This is nothing new here, people have been talking about this for a while, but now it's time to hand the keys back over to the customers, thats where all of this leads. 'But...' I here you say ' The customers don't have our expertise and skills to scratch their itches ? ' of course many don't, thats why we have to help them. Rather than trying to stuff solutions down their throats lets help them scratch those itches.
We will be writing more about how to go about this in our workshop area. We will be trying to capture best ways forward and commentate on methods and practices that get us there. It will be evolutionary for all of us. Let us know your thoughts, is there something specific you would like to see? are there services that you think will be more important than others? are there methods you would like to explore? Join us for the conversation.