Building Universes from Code: The Birth of a Product

Series: The Evolution of Excellence (Part 1 Building Universes from Code)

The Lifecycle of a Star

In the lifecycle of a star, there is a long, stable period of nuclear fusion - a functional state where the laws of physics are simply doing their work. The star exists; it has mass; it has gravity. (This transition represents the true birth of a product.)

But it is only when that star reaches a specific threshold of intensity that it truly begins to illuminate the planets around it.

The "Functional Utility" Plateau

Software development follows a similar trajectory. For the majority of a project’s life, it exists in a state of "functional utility." The code runs.

• The logic is sound.

• The primary systems, the atoms and vertices of our digital world, behave as they should. We say, "it works."

But "working" is merely the baseline of existence.

The Transition of Light

There is a profound threshold between a tool that functions for its creator and a product that lives for its user. This is where the "Polish" begins.

It is the transition from a collection of burning gas to a source of light. It is the moment we stop looking at the code and start looking at the experience. Until this transition occurs, the software is like a planet without an atmosphere, solid and real, but inhospitable to life.

In our next post, we’ll look at how we begin to build that atmosphere by identifying and removing the friction that exists between the user and the machine in "The Physics of Friction", Building Universes from Code.

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Have you ever shipped something that worked perfectly but didn't quite feel "ready"? What do you consider the most vital sign that a product is ready for the world? Let us know in the comments below.