IMPORTANT VIDEO BELOW - Steve Jobs on Saying No to Focus

The thread Roadmap 1.4 has proved to be very distracting, and it really takes the focus off the successes that StackIdeas has accomplished to date. Rather than focus on the past it is time to Say No and Focus on the present, to help StackIdeas build great world-class extensions.

It is the one year anniversary of EasySocial and we are now at version 1.3. That is quite an accomplishment considering the great product that EasySocial has become.

What can StackIdeas learn from Steve Jobs about successful software development to build world class products?

SAY NO and FOCUS. - Focusing is about saying no. No, No No.

Steve Jobs made the following world changing comment during the 1997 Apple World Wide Developers Conference in 1997, in an open Q&A session, when he returned to be consultant to Apple. In the famous developer Q&A session Steve Jobs cut to the chase in his opinionated style with developers, and stated his reasons of why focus is about saying No.

"Focus is about saying No, and the result of that focus is some really great products where the total is much greater than the sum of the parts."
~ Steve Jobs WWDC 1997

The following is an edited trimmed down version of the full session at the 1997 WWDC. I created this video clip tonight, because I believe it is very important for StackIdeas and others to watch and learn from. Steve Jobs outlines what it takes to build great software he has strong opinions in this clip that can teach lessons to all developers.

The full video can be found here - Steve Jobs Q&A - WWDC (1997) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3MrpLyUOo8

Saying No to Focus - Steve Jobs, Apple WWDC 1997


What are the fundamental directions that StackIdeas is going in and what makes sense and what doesn't?

The hardest thing about managing a software company is focusing.

"Well focusing is not about saying yes. No, focusing is about saying No. Focusing is about saying No. And you've got to say, No, No, No, and when you say No, you piss off people. You want to be nice to people. But you take your lumps." ~ Steve Jobs at a Q*A session with developers at the WWDC 1997

These famous comments were made by Steve Jobs at a famous Q&A sessions with developers at the Apple World Wide Developer Conference in 1997 after he was brought back into Apple in the acquisition of NeXT and their OS software, the OS that would later become Mac OSX, and set Apple on the path to the success it is today.

I was an attendee at the Apple WWDC in 1997 and I sat in the very front row after meeting in the morning with Steve Jobs. I was one of 26 executives that met with Steve Jobs in a private closed door special meeting in the morning where we all had to sign non-disclosures to learn more about Steve's strategy to rebuild Apple. I will always remember the private meeting and the Q&A session with Steve Jobs. It provided so much valuable insight into what it takes to build World Class software.

My small team went on the focus and build world class interactive authoring tool called LiveStage Professional that won two prestigious APPLE DESIGN AWARDS in 2000. I credit our success to the lessons that I learned from this now famous Q&A session with Steve Jobs.

We learned how to Say No, and Focus.

The success and future grow of EasySocial, EasyBlog and EasyDiscuss and Komento all depend on StackIdeas ability to remain focused on building great products.

The last thing the StackIdeas Team need is to get bogged down with having to deal with lowly hackers and extension pirates that troll the forums like this to constantly complain and demand answers from Mark. Mark answered the questions about the StackIdeas RoadMap for 1.4, and now it is time to move on and FOCUS.

As customers we should all tell Mark and his Team to just SAY NO to the outrageous and ridiculous demands of people like Tango that suck the life out of valuable resources in these forums. StackIdeas should just SAY NO to people that outrageous claims and demands about StackIdeas products.

As Steve Jobs said in his Q&A, sometimes you got to put a bullet in the head of some things to create great products, and it's time to remove the main distraction that is not allowing the SI Team to focus on their main goals.

Voice your opinion, and Just SAY NO to the distraction of someone like Tango that has never paid for the use of the EasySocial software, and put an end to his hostility and outlandish claims - so Mark and his Team can FOCUS on EasySocial 1.4 and EasyBlog 5, and provide great products, world class support and service to those that are paying loyal customers.

Randall