An event horizon is essentially a boundary for a “point of no return”. In today’s world of technology, the rate of development is moving at a rigorous pace. The world of data is 24/7. The world of business is much the same. Given the constant state of building, testing, and deploying, the world of technology is like New York City. It never sleeps.
In recent discussions with my roommates, we often end up on this topic of discussion. Companies are on a constant drive to be competitive and produce the next best thing. Agile methodologies came about to help reduce the time to launching a product. The world of Agile has grown to include many flavors/brands/varieties to fit any development need. Facebook is launching updates to its platform on a constant basis. They are constantly testing different features and seeing how their users react.
This world of constant development very much mirrors the current generation’s fascination with immediate feedback. Immediate results. Instant gratification.
Clothing stores are following similar business models to determine what clothes to keep stocked on their shelves. If an item isn’t meeting sales standards, it gets pulled from the floor. As I think more and more about different aspects of my daily life, the idea of instant analysis is slowly making its way into our every day lives.
Because of this constant state of feedback, I often wonder what to expect as automation becomes more present in our daily lives. It seems like the approaching challenge will not be what do we make or how do we make it, but what do we do once we’ve automated even the simplest of tasks. In addition, does the fear of automation cause churn and indecision when it comes to developing software?
I’ve read about many instances where people are weary of developing software because they fear it will replace them in their job. Maybe that’s why elicitation can be so challenging with stakeholders. Also, could that fear of being replaced by automation be a driver in why many technology products require constant updates and rework? While the answer is obviously much more complex, I often ponder what causes delays in development.
Food for thought.
