slimCODE

I stumbled upon this requiem for 7 rights micro-ISVs should grant themselves. Oh boy is this kind of ISV attitude light years away from me. I'm fine with you if you want to create the software of your dreams, but don't call that a business. Here's his list in green, with my comments inline.

1. We have the right to tell obnoxious customers to go to hell and enjoy doing so.
   
   Why do you think we call them customers? I'm fine with you if you want to give hackers a hard time, but don't put all your customers in the same bag. If you want customers, make them king.
   
   
2. We have the right to write our software our way, not the 19 different ways the last 19 customers said we “should” have written it.
   
   If your last 19 customers all agree that your software should be made differently, and you're not bright enough to conclude you should change something, then you don't deserve running a business.
   
   
3. We have the right to get paid.
   
   No, it's a privilege. If you want a normal salary, get a job.
   
   
4. We have the right to wonder if taking modafinil or adopting polyphasic sleep would let us catch up on all the things a micro-ISV has to do to get and stay in business.
   
   I spend my time listening to my customers, developing new features based on their feedback and my own vision, and I can sleep very well, thank you.
   
   
5. We have the right to not work in a cubicle.
   
   Ok, I give you that one. It's one reason why I started my business.
   
   
6. We have the right to take time off for good behavior.
   
   Then we should give that right to our doctors, nurses, teachers, politicians, nah, not the politicians, scientists, etc. Micro-ISVs are obnoxious lazy coders who can't tolerate a boss, is that the message we want to send?
   
   
7. We have the right to dream, and to make those dreams reality.
   
   It depends on how you qualify your software as "reality". If it simply means a software with your name on it exists somewhere, then stick with your list, but if it also means people are downloading, using and enjoying it too, please, get serious.
   

What's that problem with micro-ISVs afraid to call it a business? Is this word so evil? Everybody's a customer for someone else. Can't we apply what we like to receive?