Wow, Kai writes as clearly as he designs interfaces!
One can stomach a designer who takes himself too seriously if he is a SUCCESSFUL designer whose products MAKE A LOT OF MONEY...
It's a bit rich to hear how wonderful and fearless they all are, breaking through these troublesome standards for the greater benefit of the computer-using public, as their stock price languishes and the company appears to not be very profitable.
If one wants to make a company in order to create an outlet for one's personal weird and wacky ideas, that's fine; but if part of creating that company is SELLING it off to the public, then a bit more attention to the bottom line is warrented. For example, if all I wanted to do was support MetaCreations in their efforts to make neat new applications, then I would simply BUY the neat new applications and have some fun; as a person who has given money in return for shares, however, I need to do more than revel in the creation of neat new applications. I need to see how lots of people are buying them, how some of that money gets to the bottom line, and then how that might move the stock higher. Shareholders and graphic artists are probably looking for different things from a company... Anyway, if one is going to finance one's endeavors by selling one's company to shareholders, then one ought to keep them more in mind...
Just my two cents (as a shareholder frustrated at the "well, the stock's down and the profit's aren't rolling in, but you ought to be thrilled at the neato things we get to do here" attitude),
-- Pete |
