Vaporware

Amazing to see how little shame there is out there in the world of software (product) design, development, and delivery. I am well aware of the rot; I’ve lived through the struggles against enshittification – so well named by Cory Doctorow – and I’ve left the world of bigass paychecks and bullshiters behind. Do I miss the paychecks? As a state worker making a little more than what I started at when I worked at Trader Joe’s, I absolutely miss the money. I miss the work, too, I was actually good at it and I like being a middle manager. Plus, get this, I’m actually trained to be a manager. I know I just dated myself but who the fuck is reading this anyway?

So when I see that there’s a dude, once again, hired into a job for which I was passed over, I gotta see if there’s anything there and – drumroll – there is not. He’s got a cool lookin’ website which is 80% of the deal, the other 10% is having an contact where you wanna get hired and guess what? Bigass paycheck!

Here’s some digital evidence for his worthiness and success. If you think he’s blinking at you from the screen, he is. Sort of.

Will there be anything to show for that money provided to this guy? Here’s another drumroll moment. NO. He absolutely will not deliver anything that will become a revenue-driving aspect of the business.

I can basically guarantee he won’t. Can I promise he’ll acknowledge that? I promise he’ll have some story to tell about increasing revenue or decreasing friction or delivering some boost in sales but it won’t be true. I’ll freely admit it if I end up wrong. Gladly. Prove me wrong, bro. Someone’s gotta be first.

I’ll circle back with ya in 24-36 months.