Comments for Bend The Line http://www.bendtheline.com Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:50:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 Comment on Why We Bend Lines by Lauren Scime http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/02/09/why-we-bend-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Lauren Scime Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:30:50 +0000 http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/02/09/why-we-bend-lines/#comment-17 I agree - it's too easy to keep making small incremental improvements on prior applications rather than truly being innovative and taking a risk. Ironically, I think the biggest biggest leaps of faith - the greatest innovations - come when the chips are down economically. When things are going really well, people look too much to investors to fund their projects (which is great on the one hand, but often investors tend to be more conservative with their money and fund projects that are spin offs of the things that have already been done and have created revenue. The best apps tend to come from a couple of people banding together and doing something that they believe in, often out of necessity on their own dime, and not listening to what the investors think is "safe." Furthermore, it's having the foresight to go against what people <strong>think</strong> they want and creating what you know they will want if they just have the opportunity to see it working. Henry Ford is famous for saying: <blockquote>If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse</blockquote> It's a good thing he didn't. We as application developers need to have the courage to go with our gut and create strong innovative applications that people might not realize they need now, but later on can't have imagine living without. Can't wait to see what examples you draw on in your next post! I agree - it’s too easy to keep making small incremental improvements on prior applications rather than truly being innovative and taking a risk. Ironically, I think the biggest biggest leaps of faith - the greatest innovations - come when the chips are down economically. When things are going really well, people look too much to investors to fund their projects (which is great on the one hand, but often investors tend to be more conservative with their money and fund projects that are spin offs of the things that have already been done and have created revenue. The best apps tend to come from a couple of people banding together and doing something that they believe in, often out of necessity on their own dime, and not listening to what the investors think is “safe.”

Furthermore, it’s having the foresight to go against what people think they want and creating what you know they will want if they just have the opportunity to see it working. Henry Ford is famous for saying:

If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse

It’s a good thing he didn’t. We as application developers need to have the courage to go with our gut and create strong innovative applications that people might not realize they need now, but later on can’t have imagine living without.

Can’t wait to see what examples you draw on in your next post!

]]> Comment on Why We Bend Lines by Jeremy Anderson http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/02/09/why-we-bend-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Jeremy Anderson Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:04:01 +0000 http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/02/09/why-we-bend-lines/#comment-16 You hit the nail on the head Sam. It's making that leap and believing that you <em>actually</em> have something truly innovative, that can easily become the barrier to seeing it through. Honestly though, if this is what you are struggling with, you're probably in a much better position than all the developers knowingly making insignificant and incremental improvements to existing ideas. I relate to your professor story. I think we've all had that professor at some point. You hit the nail on the head Sam. It’s making that leap and believing that you actually have something truly innovative, that can easily become the barrier to seeing it through.

Honestly though, if this is what you are struggling with, you’re probably in a much better position than all the developers knowingly making insignificant and incremental improvements to existing ideas.

I relate to your professor story. I think we’ve all had that professor at some point.

]]> Comment on Why We Bend Lines by Sam Applebaum http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/02/09/why-we-bend-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Sam Applebaum Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:14:36 +0000 http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/02/09/why-we-bend-lines/#comment-15 Another great post. I particularly like your point about the difficulty of having the audacity to believe that you came up with something know one else has. I think that we would have a lot more innovation if people were encouraged to be presumptuous rather than timid. I myself have come across this problem a number of times. I actually had a professor (one I liked!) tell me that the solution to a film theory problem I was proposing couldn't be accurate because "with all the great minds that have tackled this problem, it simply isn't possible that you came along and solved it." He was so sure of this that he clearly did not give much thought to my idea, which was (believe it or not) an actual solution to the problem. I think the most appalling aspect of this event was not what he said to me, but the tone in which he said it. His attitude was not simply to dismiss my idea but to attempt to make me feel ashamed of the fact that I actually thought I could make a difference. He was in many ways a good teacher, but I actually kind of think he should have been put in jail for this. Trying to convince a developing mind to give up trying to innovate should seriously be a war crime. The worst things is that the biggest obstacle to innovation often becomes my own resistance to believing that I have a good idea, which usually takes the form of hearing this professor's (and everyone else who has taken this attitude towards me) voice in my head telling me "who do you think you are? I can't even even fathom the increased innovation we would see if students were, as a rule, encouraged to think that they are all potentially capable of seeing things that no one else has seen. Another great post. I particularly like your point about the difficulty of having the audacity to believe that you came up with something know one else has. I think that we would have a lot more innovation if people were encouraged to be presumptuous rather than timid. I myself have come across this problem a number of times. I actually had a professor (one I liked!) tell me that the solution to a film theory problem I was proposing couldn’t be accurate because “with all the great minds that have tackled this problem, it simply isn’t possible that you came along and solved it.” He was so sure of this that he clearly did not give much thought to my idea, which was (believe it or not) an actual solution to the problem. I think the most appalling aspect of this event was not what he said to me, but the tone in which he said it. His attitude was not simply to dismiss my idea but to attempt to make me feel ashamed of the fact that I actually thought I could make a difference. He was in many ways a good teacher, but I actually kind of think he should have been put in jail for this. Trying to convince a developing mind to give up trying to innovate should seriously be a war crime. The worst things is that the biggest obstacle to innovation often becomes my own resistance to believing that I have a good idea, which usually takes the form of hearing this professor’s (and everyone else who has taken this attitude towards me) voice in my head telling me “who do you think you are? I can’t even even fathom the increased innovation we would see if students were, as a rule, encouraged to think that they are all potentially capable of seeing things that no one else has seen.

]]> Comment on A Short Introduction by Patrick Dowell http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Patrick Dowell Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:44:14 +0000 http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/#comment-13 I do like arguing. Curiosity is good thing though and I really don't mind the questions. One thing I'm gonna have to insist on though is that you post on your blog more often! Well, maybe after we finish the million things we're working on now... Anyway, thanks for reading and commenting. I'm actually looking forward to the many hours of work we have ahead of us. It's really fun working with you two. I do like arguing. Curiosity is good thing though and I really don’t mind the questions. One thing I’m gonna have to insist on though is that you post on your blog more often! Well, maybe after we finish the million things we’re working on now…

Anyway, thanks for reading and commenting. I’m actually looking forward to the many hours of work we have ahead of us. It’s really fun working with you two.

]]> Comment on A Short Introduction by Patrick Dowell http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Patrick Dowell Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:38:22 +0000 http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/#comment-12 Thanks Jeremy. I feel like you and Lauren both really get a lot of the things I'm trying to say with this blog. That's what makes it such a pleasure for me to work with you guys. An unfortunate consequence of this is that I feel like many things I mention here won't be that new to you both. Oh well. Thanks Jeremy. I feel like you and Lauren both really get a lot of the things I’m trying to say with this blog. That’s what makes it such a pleasure for me to work with you guys. An unfortunate consequence of this is that I feel like many things I mention here won’t be that new to you both. Oh well.

]]> Comment on A Short Introduction by Lauren Scime http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Lauren Scime Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:12:23 +0000 http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/#comment-11 A fantastic introduction - I especially like the part about your first words being "I disagree." I was always told that mine were "whassat?" or the baby talk equivalent of "what's that?" Funny how we don't change much as we grow up. I'm still a pest hanging over your shoulder while you work on the backend. And you're an oppinionated partner (though not irrationally disagreeable). I love that you're always up for a debate, looking to hash out the angles and find the ways many ways to view things, and ultimately to execute problem solving. Makes for a great programmer and an awesome partner I can't wait to read the upcoming posts and watch the blog evolve! A fantastic introduction - I especially like the part about your first words being “I disagree.” I was always told that mine were “whassat?” or the baby talk equivalent of “what’s that?” Funny how we don’t change much as we grow up. I’m still a pest hanging over your shoulder while you work on the backend. And you’re an oppinionated partner (though not irrationally disagreeable). I love that you’re always up for a debate, looking to hash out the angles and find the ways many ways to view things, and ultimately to execute problem solving. Makes for a great programmer and an awesome partner

I can’t wait to read the upcoming posts and watch the blog evolve!

]]> Comment on A Short Introduction by Jeremy Anderson http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Jeremy Anderson Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:20:03 +0000 http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/#comment-10 Compelling introduction! I think this is a side of computing and programming that is seriously under represented on the internets at large and I'm looking forward to reading into your head more. Congratulations on the new blog! Compelling introduction! I think this is a side of computing and programming that is seriously under represented on the internets at large and I’m looking forward to reading into your head more.

Congratulations on the new blog!

]]> Comment on A Short Introduction by Patrick Dowell http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Patrick Dowell Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:11:54 +0000 http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/#comment-9 It does. I wasn't specifically going for a three there, but it's fitting. I like the three concepts you use to describe the different angles: physics, mathematics, and technology. But, you could replace technology with engineering, as I do think of engineering as the discipline of applying mathematics and physics toward the creation of technology. Amusingly, I was trying to find a better word for "stuff" or "things" for the sentence about the third angle. I think technology would have worked well in that context. Oh, and welcome to the site! It does. I wasn’t specifically going for a three there, but it’s fitting. I like the three concepts you use to describe the different angles: physics, mathematics, and technology. But, you could replace technology with engineering, as I do think of engineering as the discipline of applying mathematics and physics toward the creation of technology. Amusingly, I was trying to find a better word for “stuff” or “things” for the sentence about the third angle. I think technology would have worked well in that context.

Oh, and welcome to the site!

]]> Comment on A Short Introduction by Sam http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Sam Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:02:08 +0000 http://www.bendtheline.com/2009/01/26/a-short-introduction/#comment-8 Well, based on the implicit modern conception "I blog, therefor I am," congratulations on your newfound existence. May it be long and interesting. Interesting podernings on the nature of computing. It seems that you are looking at it from three different angles. Physics (the "what" of computation), mathmatics (the "how") and technology that improves people's lives (the "why"). Does this seem accurate to you? Well, based on the implicit modern conception “I blog, therefor I am,” congratulations on your newfound existence. May it be long and interesting.

Interesting podernings on the nature of computing. It seems that you are looking at it from three different angles. Physics (the “what” of computation), mathmatics (the “how”) and technology that improves people’s lives (the “why”). Does this seem accurate to you?

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