Look carefully at the intersection of hardware and software in this picture.
The devil’s definitely in the details. And, it all falls on the shoulders of the Product Manager. Product Managers own the mundane task of product specifications, roadmaps, pricing, and so on along with product vision and direction. It’s also their responsibility to make sure it all comes together in a package that makes sense.
Take a look at the ATM photo I took at Bank of America the other day.
It’s really easy to see the two digital buttons on screen. Pick which deposit type you want… cash on the left, and check on the right. Simple.
Now, look at the hardware slots. I suspect it’s hard to read… there’s a slot for checks on the left, and cash on the right! Big deal? Maybe not except to the anal-retentive’s in the audience. But, sloppy. Yeah. for sure.
But think about the elderly or dimly-lit. It’s not obvious to check which slot to put stuff in. Hit the button the left, put stuff in the slot on the left. That’s the obvious choice. To me, it’s simply dumb to do anything else in the UI. Read more…
Lately I noticed that the fan on my MacBook Air wasn’t ever shutting off. I ignored it as long as I could, knowing that it’s one of the MacBook Air’s (1st gen) known troublespots. I wasn’t seeing too much of a slowdown in the machine, though sometimes the CPU would spike. And, I know Firefox was the cause of at least some of this by paying attention to the machine’s disposition through the course of the day.
Last week, I got totally hosed on an online conference, my machine totally unable to keep up. Frustrated, I decided to dig in… two hours later I had a quiet machine without CPU spikes, and I’m going to share exactly what I did. I’m not a hacker, so hopefully my explanation in layman’s terms will help people who aren’t nearly so technical. Read more…
I feel bad that I’ve let this blog slip. In part because sometimes I struggle with all the social noise and the feeling of irrelevance sets in. Though, in large part it’s because I’m freaking busy!
My days are full of Actional (I’d love to tell you how great we’re doing, but alas we’re a public company, and I can’t yet!) and my evenings Where’s Your Heart?. Things are moving at Where’s Your Heart?. Slower than I’d like, but moving. I’m learning a lot about me as I go! And, it’s a fascinating process.
I’d like to re-start my writing with some more about Where’s Your Heart?, the foundation I’ve setup. I’ll share the mission, the objectives, and some fascinating research in this area.
Where’s Your Heart?’s mission is to “improve our lives through altruistic living”. Read more…
