s20e04: A Software Strategy

0.0 Context Setting

I’m starting this on Sunday, 17 August, 2025 in a cafe with a very nice coffee with the full intent of not sending it today, which believe me is a massive step forward.

0.1 Hallway Track

Ho Hallway Tracks are currently scheduled.

1.0 Some Things That Caught My Attention

1.1 A Software Strategy

This one is about the cycle of starting by building something you need, and then having it be replaced by a commodity.

I’ve written before about how sometimes your software or technology is the thing that needs to be unique about how you do what you do. Or, rather it’s what can be used to make what you do unique -- or better than anyone else.

A regular problem here is that there’s invariably a bit of software that would help in distinguishing, but it comes down to the question of whether you should build it yourself, or whether you should customize it.

I should point out that at one end of the scale, any sufficiently complex job that is pitched as being accomplished via “customizing” existing software ends up being as complex and expensive as just building the damn thing yourself.

But it’s not that simple, people will say, because