Those who can't...teach
written by Allan on June 18, 2008
Here's my issue: How can a web consulting company NOT have their own products.
I've heard people say that a web company can either do services or products, that you can't do both. I say you're wrong mister! How can't you do both? How can someone sell their services to a client, who's paying them to successfully build/launch their product when the web company can't do it for themselves? Maybe its not that they can't do it, its that they're too scared or just don't want to have their own product(s). That make sense, right? It doesn't make any sense to me, have you ever taken music lessons? I took guitar lessons for several years growing up, a prerequisite for being my teacher was that my teacher had to be able to play the guitar as well. On my first day my guitar teacher didn't say "well I can instruct you to play the guitar, but I don't really play the guitar. I'm a guitar teacher not guitar player, you can't do both."
Want to see a company's work in its purest form? Ask to see their own apps.
How can you have a product that you don't use? Well, that's another blog post.
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Allan loves his family more than breathing. He lives in Panama City, Florida & grew up washing cars at his family's car washes. Oh and Allan hasn't worn underwear since 2004.
4 Comments
Good points, essentially the “eating your own dogfood” argument with a little twist. I think it’s a solid argument, but you have to take into account the reasoning behind the fact that they haven’t launched their own product. If they exhibit no interest in launching their own product, then sure – cause for concern. But, who’s to say whether or not they’ve ever hit on a strong, marketable idea? Along the same lines, who’s to say they have the resources to exploit that idea immediately when it does come along?
I’ve heard this argument before, and generally agree. However, teaching itself is a skill and talent that not everyone has. Even though you CAN do something doesn’t mean you can teach it.
It therefore makes sense to me that someone could have an exceptional skill at consulting others on how to do something, but may not have the drive, interest in or talent for doing it themselves.
I think you nailed it with business but not in everything. Take golf as a big example, alot of the swing coaches for the pga tour players are not the best golfers. My buddy steve now tours and his swing coach is a 15 handicap but knows how to teach very well. Alot of your tour caddies are horrible golfers but just know the game very well. With business you can only learn with experience so it does work there.
It may be that you just don’t have time to do both really well or maybe you’re a great programmer but just don’t have the creative chops to put it all together in a package that people would enjoy using. Or likely you’ve got the front-end skills but with so many great open-source projects out there doesn’t the question come up of why should I make my own. You seem to have both and props to you for having it.