Less is More. Say NO to Bloated Software.
by Abhishek
As a Customized Software Development company, we have to build software as per client’s requirements. It is as simple as that.
Due to popularity of Facebook, Twitter and all such Social Networking sites, many of my clients want features like them in their website or application. Now I am a big fan of social networking stuff as you might know but I am not a big fan of having these features unnecessarily.
For that matter no software should have features which are not “really really really important” (at least in first version).
Software is becoming too complicated now a days and I am not sure how long people will be able to tolerate such complicated software.
Clients keep asking to add features to their software to please their clients or users and its a vicious cycle. Because of that their software becomes too big, too complicated and too bloated to handle and maintain.
And Software companies like us keep profiting from such feature requests, helps client make their software bloated and then profit from maintaining that!
I am not a big fan of such practices and I am not sure how long will they last.
I am in love with philosophy of a company called 37signals.com.
“Less is More”
If you would like to build a successful software you should start with very little functionality.
Just build the core functionality of your software and put it before your audience. That’s it. Have them use it first.
Do not focus on anything else which is not core. They are not important right now.
Doing less has its own advantages.
- Less is flexible.
- Less is easy to understand.
- Less is less complicated.
If you are planning to build a software, I suggest you to list down all the features you want and ask this question to yourself for each feature.
Do you really really need this? Are your users not going to use your software if you do not have this?
This question will help you filter out most of the unwanted features and you will make it a slick, to the point system. That is a path to success in software world.
I have borrowed all these knowledge from a books called “Getting Real” and “Rework” by 37Signals.com founders. Read the book online at http://gettingreal.37signals.com/. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to build a software or somehow is related to Software and Entrepreneurship respectively.
i must say “Clients from the HELL” wont understand this :-)But “Less Is More” is the best thing everyone should implement in their daily life schedule as well.. Thanks For The Article
I agree
I agree to this point, and these days for most of s/w companies this has become a general scenario. Even in Product Based companies, they tend to increase the complexity of their products by injecting new features in each releases / versions. Regarding complexity of software 2 important aspects needed to be focused – 1. Usability of complex features should be given more concentration keeping in mind the requirements of end users. Hence at any stage, when a s/w product grows in complexity, user friendliness in terms of ease of usability should not be tampered. 2. Complexity and new features should be designed and implied such that they actually servers the purpose to automate more complex, rigid manual human actions in real life scenarios and serves as it’s replacement. Strategically it’s very important – when and how you upgrade the s/w product with advanced and complex new features. In my last company, they made Enterprise s/w products for US Pharma Companies like GSK, Pfizer. But I had noticed that Analyst use to come up with new features for consequent releases in such a structured and strategic fashion that each of new functionality use to raise a need for some more supporting s/w or features or modules and then they use to broadcast the upgrades to all their existing client base and hence earn through upgrade licensing. After all that’s Business! Helping clients with More features needing Less efforts to implement and use and ultimately gaining huge profits…Regards,Jay Chhaya
Generally client see feature other sites and then they want that feature in their site without knowing is this necessary or not.Nice Post.
Very nice ..I do belive in the same.. Less is more.. I also saw if client is very fast and wants all feature in first launch.. software is got wired..and confuse the User. Check out the Mail box of new yahoo and gmail. Gmail is very neat and clean but in yahoo, you have more ads than ur mails.
I like “Less Is More..!”, but in real I think when clients come with some idea to build a software, they must think about reward/ income they get from that software. And that could be done only by Visitors….. Visitors… Visitors.. only. And all visitors came by most of the social network sites. So they required FB, Tweet, MySpace, bla bla… in their site. They forgot the slogan which they like “Less Is More..!” 🙂
Like!!!
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for voyance
Thank you, I have just been searching for information about this subject for ages and yours is the best I’ve discovered till now. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?
I’m curious to find out what blog system you have been utilizing? I’m having some small security issues with my latest blog and I would like to find something more safe. Do you have any solutions?
Pretty great post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wished to mention that I have really enjoyed surfing around your weblog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I’m hoping you write again soon!
Of course, what a fantastic blog and illuminating posts, I will bookmark your blog.Best Regards!
You are a very clever person!
The very heart of your writing while sounding agreeable originally, did not settle properly with me after some time. Somewhere throughout the paragraphs you actually were able to make me a believer unfortunately only for a short while. I however have got a problem with your leaps in logic and one might do well to fill in all those gaps. When you can accomplish that, I will certainly be amazed.
I’ll right away grab your rss feed as I can not to find your email subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly permit me understand so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
I’m really impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it rare to see a nice blog like this one these days..
I am very happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that is at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.
I have read a few good stuff here. Certainly worth bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much effort you put to make such a wonderful informative website.
Good day I am so excited I found your web site, I really found you by mistake, while I was browsing on Bing for something else, Regardless I am here now and would just like to say thank you for a marvelous post and a all round thrilling blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all at the minute but I have saved it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the superb work.
Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just extremely excellent. I actually like what you have acquired here, really like what you are stating and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it wise. I can not wait to read far more from you. This is really a tremendous web site.