Black, White, and Oh-So-Gray
Despite our more impassioned wishes, technology choices (like all worthwhile choices in life) are rarely black or white.
Show me a piece of technology advice on the Internet, and I’ll show you three pieces of conflicting advice. Such is the nature of both debating on the Internet, and making decisions in a rapidly evolving and still relatively nascent industry.
I see founders all the time paralyzed by technology choices, deciding to wait to build until the right tech falls in their lap. Or deciding to keep up with horrible home-grown solutions just in case some software package might not meet exactly their needs.
How To Make A Technology Choice
When in doubt, follow these three rules:
- Choose tech that has lots of customers like you and a thriving ecosystem. Avoid solutions that are only used by the Fortune 500, or by the one pre-revenue startup that hired the guy who built the tech in the first place.
- Choose tech that’s specifically designed for your purpose. Avoid solutions that try to solve all your problems with one monolithic package.
- Choose tech that your developers are excited about. They will work harder, faster, and more creatively with tools and services that inspire them. Avoid forcing anything on your team that will be an excuse for building anything less-than-awesome.
Embrace the impossibility of a one best choice, and relax. Choose with informed data, and your gut. There are as many ways to solve a given technology problem as there are technologists, so chances are good that whatever informed choice you make will be capable of delivering for you.
Only You Can Choose
Choices aren’t made by committee (at least not smart choices…)
Make a confident choice, and go solve some problems with it!