Software Developers Get A Lot of Bad Advice

Software Developers Get a Lot of Bad Advice

Whenever software developers get together, there are always questions like "What's the best download site for buying ads?" or "How often should I send press releases to magazine and newspaper editors?". And when some of the experienced authors give advice, a lot of the newer developers follow it, without taking the time to translate it to fit their own situations. This can be a very dangerous practice.

Sure, new software developers will always welcome advice from owners of established software companies. What better role model is there than an independent software developer who has faced the same challenges that you're facing, and who has emerged as a winner?

Be aware, however, that there are a lot of dangers in blindly accepting advice from other developers, no matter how much sense their ideas seem to make. Here are some observations to keep in mind when you're listening to the advice of your peers:

(1) The software marketplace doesn't exist.

There is probably a marketplace for Windows software that uses a drill format to teach multiplication and division to home-schooled 7 through 9 year old kids. If that's the kind of software that you're selling, it makes a lot of sense to listen to the experience of somebody else in your market. But if you're selling a totally different type of application, then you can't blindly accept another developer's advice, no matter how successful their sales record has been. Their experience doesn't necessarily apply to your market niche. Don't be tricked into believing that there is a single software marketplace, and that rules apply to all segments of this supposedly homogeneous market.

(2) Emerging markets are different from mature markets.

A few years ago, marketing anti-spam software was a new concept. Today, introducing a new anti-spam application is a totally different challenge. Your new product would be competing in an established market, with existing niches, and established leaders. Before taking another developer's advice, think through how it must be adapted to account for your software's place in the market life cycle. There are different rules for emerging markets, growing markets, and mature markets.

(3) Users' expectations and savvy have changed over time.

Listening to advice from somebody who built a successful software company in the last century is a risky proposition. The world has changed a lot since the 1990's. The world has changed a lot since last month! There are some fundamental sales and marketing principles that are eternal. But you need to think through how the marketplace has changed, before you accept another developer's formula for marketing success.

Some people believe that users are a lot more sophisticated today. After all, kids are learning about computers before they start school, and in most offices, there's a computer on every work desk.

Some people believe that users are a lot less sophisticated today. In the old days, only the really sharp people owned computers, while today most US homes have several computers running.

The situation, of course, varies. You can't casually take advice from somebody who doesn't know your target audience. Listen to their advice, but translate it into the current century, and into your particular situation.

(4) The rules are different for applications with high name recognition.

An established company can use brand extension to introduce a new product, and it might enjoy immediate success because of the high name recognition. Following in their footsteps to launch an unknown product could lead to disaster. People from successful companies don't always know why their software is selling well. They may give you advice that simply doesn't fit reality - at least not your reality.

(5) The marketplace is different for leaders, followers, and new companies.

Is your advice coming from the market leader, an established brand with a significant share of the market, or a successful new entrant? A marketing plan that works for the leading software in a niche might be less effective in promoting less well-known applications, and might be a total failure for new companies with no name-recognition. You need to translate before implementing other developers' advice.

(6) Companies with good cash flow can afford robust marketing budgets.

Before accepting advice from another developer regarding buying ad space or launching a search engine buy, make sure your risk tolerance is roughly the same as theirs. You can lose a lot of money on an unsuccessful advertising campaign. Established companies can afford riskier investments with their capital than can cash-strapped start-ups.

(7) Don't model your web site after a site in a different market niche.

If you're marketing business software, it would be an error to model your web site after a successful game developer's site. Listen to developers' advice from other market segments. But translate and adapt.

The bottom line - Don't rush to follow other developers' advice blindly. These software publishers may be giving you honest advice based on their own experience. But no matter how successful they are, and regardless of how sensible the advice sounds on the surface, you need to take the time to think through the similarities and differences between your software and theirs. Before spending a lot of time or money launching a marketing campaign, look at your marketplace from all angles.