Happy Friday!
As I step back a moment and look at the trends in software products over the decade or so I've been at this there are a few things that have more or less remained constant.
- Expectations only increase
- Capabilities don't
What I mean is one good product company winds up raising the bar for everyone else. Apple launches products that are highly polished and intuitive, so people begin to expect those qualities elsewhere.
Yet, even though our demands increase, our basic capabilities don't. We invest in a lot more design, UX, UI to match those expectations of intuition and design, but underneath that facade is the same code people have been writing and struggling with for a decade.
Where does this hurt the most? Security.
There are enough stories in a year about major security breaches that the public is starting to realize that software and companies aren't to be trusted. Privacy issues make people uncomfortable and confused.
Yet we keep trying to ship software without giving these issues much thought.
As I think through what one of the next major differentiators are in the world of product, I keep coming back to security and privacy. While you might not be able to run a marketing campaign off of these capabilities, the companies that take these issues seriously would be able to create a wider moat that keeps competition out.
After all, why would I try a new company when I trust yours?
If none of that is motivating, legislation is starting to catch up both at a state and federal level. Hope and intuition aren't enough anymore in this space.
Sincerely,
Ryan
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