Something went wrong
What happens when techies go rogue
We are told that perfectionism is not always a good thing. That “Perfect is the enemy of good”. The Pareto 80:20 principle is fast becoming the most inappropriately overused semi-scientific quote of modern times.
For this week’s post I’d like to crave your indulgence and take you briefly inside the strange nether world of software development. Stay close though - weirdos abound in this neck of the woods, but it won’t take long, promise and it is relevant …
Those of us earning a crust in the digital world (as well as most people under 35, tbh) are aware of one of the last stages of testing of software applications. This is Beta testing and it’s where your new phone app for example, is supposed to be tested in real world circumstances to confirm that it performs as expected. It supposed to mean that some spotty developer sitting in his vest in Cupertino doesn’t release software that only he has used, thereby automatically meaning that 85% of the stuff normal people in the real world use remains untested.
Beta testing is supposed to happen before the release of the software, so that the finished article released to a panting audience is in tip-top shape. However, about 20 years ago something changed in this process.
Modern technology is tribal. We are all aware of the great Apple/Android schism, where the fanboys would rather die than admit there is anything positive to be said about the other sides’ products. These disciples will happily join groups to assist with Beta testing for free. Indeed, it’s far from unusual for anybody with a passing interest in tech to get several invitations to become a beta tester for new releases each year.
Additionally, the development mantra in Global software giants like Facebook and Amazon has always been ‘Move fast and break things.’ “So what, if things don’t go so well in the early stages of a software release? Fix it and move on. Obviously we know better than the customers themselves what they want and critically, we know they will stick with us while we sort things out.” This approach is forgiven, even when it’s inconvenient, by the fans, because their champion can do no wrong.
Which brings us to today and a firm called Sonos.
Now Sonos flogs HiFi systems. They are in the same line of business as say Bang and Olufson, or Sanyo used to be in the 70’s. Unfortunately, because they play music digitally, via a wireless network, they have committed what wordsmiths call a category error. They, incorrectly, believe they are in the computer business. This sorry state of affairs was highlighted earlier this month when they decided to roll out a major change to the phone app with which users control their Sonos systems.
They let loose one of the worst updates I’ve ever seen in 20 years exposure to this type of thing. It's so bad that they have effectively broken a great many of their customer’s expensive HiFi systems (mine included). Not to put too fine a point on it, the update is so spectacularly bad, the user experience is so inexpressibly awful, the now-missing core elements so fundamental, that Sonos may have actually not just ruined my audio system, they may have ‘bricked’ their entire company.
If it isn’t already obvious I am something of a music hobbyist. All of my life I have collected LPs, then cassettes, then CD’s and then LPs again. Then around the turn of the century digital media became the big thing. I embraced it enthusiastically. I bought Sonos.
When the Sonos system works well it’s a very good thing. That it has occasional nervous breakdowns is an intense irritation to me, but it could possibly be caused by the shape of our house (Long and thin, which means lots of opportunity for signals to get dropped etc.) I am reconciled to the fact that this happens from time to time.
This week though was a fresh hell.
I first knew something was amiss when I logged in to check the exact name of a track I was intending to add to my “Heading for the ditch” post (Here next week – Subscribe now!) ….. I got the helpful message reproduced in the screenprint above. I couldn’t play anything at all or even communicate with my system.
Oh great. “What’s causing the interference this time?” I thought. But hang on… the screen itself looked different. I went online. Oh dear. Software update.
The update in its current state might have been accepted had they been a small tech business operating in a sphere where the digital technology itself was the product and whose customers were enthusiastic evangelists for their cause. But Sonos passed this point years ago. Their customer base is now one that enjoys their music reproduced at tip top quality, while not giving two hoots about the process by which the sound arrives at their speakers. Buyers like me want something that just works and plays their music seamlessly and consistently. That Sonos doesn’t get this has been confirmed in recent days by a ridiculously portentous, self-important statement released by them when the predictable angry noise erupted from the owners of the kit:
“It takes courage to rebuild a brand’s core product from the ground up, and to do so knowing it may require taking a few steps back to ultimately leap into the future”
If I may translate. “Welcome to Beta testing, suckers. We know you didn’t ask to join, but we expect you to help us get this sh*tshow back on the road… because you love us …right?”
Oh, and notice that the statement refers to the app as a “core product”. No… the speakers in this instance are the product, the app is what enables them. The app is a mere component.
This all leaves me, and presumably many other Sonos users, in a quandary. I’ve bought myself some time by removing the new version of the application and reinstalling the old one. Now I need to decide what to do next….
I have totted up the cost of my Sonos system… about £5k give or take, excluding all the third-party amplifiers, turntables and speakers. Having been the victim of such an egregious mistake, the only sensible decision is to cut my losses and move on to a competitor who understands their customer better. This may seem like overkill, but it’s such a spectacular own goal it suggests that at root there is a fundamental misunderstanding of their customer base and it will only be a matter of time before it happens again in some form.
My point here is that perfectionism has its place still in today’s world. Especially when your livelihood is dependent upon understanding who your customers are and what they are looking for from your products. Of course, perfection is unattainable in many circumstances but your aspiration to achieve it is what’s important. This half-assed update from Sonos makes it clear that they don’t seem to understand this.
Sorry, rant over. Happily, it’s music week next week! And don’t worry, the playlist’s arrival is entirely unaffected by those wankers at Sonos.