If you cannot describe it, it will die!

The world abounds in software created by millions of geeks trying to get a slice of the market and rocket there way to stardom.

However, geeks also have the innate ability to be prone to make software that no one can understand or use.  And if you ask them to explain to you what it is, they struggle.  Um, arrr, it sort of does this.  

At this point I turn away,  ignore and move on.  If you cannot explain your product in a few short sentences then do not make it, do not promote it and do not try to sell it. Because it will not be promotable and not be sellable.  

This is not a new phenomenon, it has been around since inventing started.  However, due to he clustering of geeks in their bedrooms this has reached a fever pitch.  Where software is created, lauded as being the next next,  but lacks any real use.

Point in hand was a piece of software a friend of mine made years ago.  I used to ask what he was working on.  He would start telling me about it.  No clear definition.  Then I would ask why and how I would use it.  Being a friend I thought I should at least be nice and ask relevant questions.  The answer he gave was always so convoluted that I never really could understand what I would use it for.  Sadly, it went nowhere on release and I cannot even find it on the net anymore.  

And the sad thing is the software that this friend created was brilliant.  Great technology, great ideas.  And groundbreaking in many ways.  But there was no one to sell to, because it could not be easily described.  

One of my programmers went to a conference last about Microsofts Sharepoint.  Now, I have always been intrigued by it, and had heard a few things about what it can do.  But as you will see from my next few sentences I cannot describe it, and cannot tell you what it can do.  

I ask my programmer, on his return, to explain this all to me.  Much um ing and Arring later he showed me a website made from it.  He then said it was cool but was not sure what it did.

I walked away knowing that this piece of software is probably brilliant, but will never be used by me.  
 
If you cannot explain it, it will die!