Ask Dan: Q&A with the founder
Great partnerships start with great conversations, and few people are better at having those than our founder, Dan Crawford.
In this first installment of “Ask Dan,” we sat down for a quick Q&A to get his take on software, business growth, and the like.
What’s the most common software mistake you see businesses make?
It’s hard to pick just one, but the first that comes to mind is believing that a software project will be simple. If a company ever tells you the project will be simple, run the other direction as fast as you can. The business needs to be able to explain its processes in excruciating detail, which is often the Achilles' heel for people who think their projects are simple. Good projects that stand the test of time take significant input from the business.
Another mistake I’ve seen is becoming dependent on overly complex spreadsheets. Sure, spreadsheets can work for new businesses, but as the company scales, those spreadsheets become more complicated, more prone to errors, and more time-consuming. The solution? Process automation. Check out this blog for more.
Since I’m on a roll, another mistake I see far too often is failing to make security a priority. Some businesses think it could never happen to them, so they put security measures on the back burner—a costly error. Security should be at the forefront of every single software rollout.
Honorable mention mistakes I see:
Expecting software developers to understand business.
Thinking that the software developer is also an expert in your business and processes.
What advice would you give to a company considering custom software for the first time?
Advice #1: Assume the software developer does not understand your business. You’ll need to explain things in great detail, likely using layman’s terms, to your software developer if you want the project to be successful.
Advice #2: It is expensive. You will be responsible for initial development costs and also ongoing maintenance costs. It’ll probably cost more and take longer than you anticipate—so make sure that the ROI is worth the total cost.
Related blog:
What makes a software project successful or not?
There are many factors that make a project successful or unsuccessful—some of them more controllable than others. As far as controllable variables, a project is more likely to be successful if the customer explains the requirements in detail to the software developer and, on the flip side, if the software developer asks plenty of questions.
What makes someone a good developer beyond technical skill?
A great developer must have excellent attention to detail and quality, strong communication skills, and the work ethic of a horse.
Mac, PC, or Linux?
PC. No elaboration needed.
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Dan’s insights reflect the heart of what we do at Sovereign Systems: clear communication, thoughtful problem-solving, and building solutions that stand the test of time.
Have a question you'd like Dan to answer in a future post? We’d love to hear it.