The "model" for running a technology based company into the ground is to
promote the Director (or VP) of Sales and Marketing to CEO. This sort of
makes sense because it is sales and marketing that generates the revenue
and all of these companies are in business to make money. The Sales and
Marketing person knows how to sell. They could sell iceboxes to Eskimoes.
>From their point of view Research and Development is an expense (not an
investment). So no new products are developed, sales falter and, in order
to keep profits up, the CEO lays off even more developers. Ultimately
you're trying to sell buggy whips to automobile drivers.
When I worked at Boeing they countered this by insisting that all managers
have a BS as their undergraduate degree. It didn't matter if it was from
Holbokien Institute of Technology, that BS was the magic key into
management. Of course you needed more than just an undergraduate degree
but every manager did have some understanding of how the technology worked
and the necessity of R&D.
Take a look at the top tiers of your company. If it consists of just MBAs
who have Finance, Sales and Marketing backgrounds and who have never
actually developed anything in the technology that they are managing then
the company will eventually go under. In most cases the collapse of the
dot-coms and tel-coms are perfect examples. They couldn't deliver the
technology. All sizzle and no steak.
DENNIS
WILLIAMS To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
<DWILLIAMS <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
@LIFETOUCH.CO cc:
M> Subject: RE: RE: larry want to take over
your
Sent by: root e-mai
07/12/2002
01:04 PM
Please
respond to
ORACLE-L
Patrice - I especially agree with your last statement "don't believe there
is a real solution to this". Remember a technology vendor has 3
constituents, all of whom think they are the most important: stockholders,
employees, customers.
I have noticed that previous slumps in technology sales have tended to
correlate with periods where there aren't compelling new products to be
purchased. We could all run our current products for years to come, but
then
that wouldn't produce any new sales would it? In the short term about all a
vendor can do to show its stockholders is cut employees in response to
falling revenues. Eventually new products will appear, but that takes much
longer and if the company goes out of business before then, it is rather
moot.
Dennis Williams
DBA, 20% OCP
Lifetouch, Inc.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 8:58 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
I have mixed feelings about this - I think this is pervasive within the
high-tech industry, and my gut feeling is that it may help explain why tech
stocks are so low.
Do you think they (the industry leaders) will get the message?
I seriously doubt it. Right now the focus seems to be on cutting staff and
costs rather than improving products to build loyal customers and increase
revenues. It's been like this for as long as I can remember. But the
industry leaders are probably in a bind: Many high quality products
disappeared because a cheaper alternative came on the market.
Part of the problem is that people think short term, if they see a
half-finished product at lower cost that markets itself as being "the
cheaper alternative" for an expensive solution, purchasers tend to pick the
cheaper option if they think they can live with it. In some cases if a
well-known company says "wait 6 months, we are working on this too and our
product will amaze you," customers actually decide to postpone projects
based on vaporware promises.
Overall costs may actually be higher when cheaper alternatives are
selected,
but in many places no one is focused enough, wise enough or around long
enough to do long-term assessments. In many cases it's because everyone is
too busy to cross the t's and dot all the i's.
It doesn't encourage vendors to build top-quality, long-lasting products.
In my opinion.
I also don't believe there is a real solution to this, most people are
happy
with the status quo.
My CDN$0.02.
Regards,
Patrice Boivin
Systems Analyst (Oracle Certified DBA)
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 6:15 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
Hannah,
Friday is tomorrow, settle down everything will be all right. It's
just
his
Bill complex showing through, you know that MicroSoft mantra, "We will be
everything to everyone." I'm still waiting for that piece of Windows
software
that insures my coffee cup remains full. At least the Oracle based one I
developed warns me when it's half full and does not GPF in the process. :-)
Dick Goulet
____________________Reply Separator____________________
Author: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: 7/11/2002 9:18 AM
THAT DOES IT. I am starting training on DB2 right away (Yeah - I can
actually
AFFORD to.... no $2000 requirements!!). I want a DB that KNOWS its a DB
and
not
an all-purpose quagmire of inter-related but not really related junk just
because Larry has a Bill complex!
Oracle and CHEAP cannot be used in the same sentence! Must have been a
misquote...surpised they dont need a 5000 named user license!
Argh...... mental meltdown in process. One... two.... deep breath.... Is
it
Friday yet?
Hannah
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