Comments on: Great Developers, Projects That Sound Boring http://kylecordes.com/2007/10/31/great-developers/ Kyle Cordes's Software Site Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:30:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: Michael Easter http://kylecordes.com/2007/10/31/great-developers/#comment-12396 Sat, 03 Nov 2007 02:40:39 +0000 http://kylecordes.com/2007/10/31/great-developers/#comment-12396 >>> Fog Creek aims to make compellingly good software because that is how you outcompete >>> established competitors in a commercial shrinkwrap market. Neat post, Kyle. I'm a longtime fan of Joel's writing as well. Just to clarify... do you use FogBugz? Do you agree with the above quote or was that from Joel? I have never used his software and wonder if it is as good as his writing. >>> Fog Creek aims to make compellingly good software because that is how you outcompete
>>> established competitors in a commercial shrinkwrap market.

Neat post, Kyle. I’m a longtime fan of Joel’s writing as well.

Just to clarify… do you use FogBugz? Do you agree with the above quote or was that from Joel?

I have never used his software and wonder if it is as good as his writing.

]]> by: Kyle Cordes http://kylecordes.com/2007/10/31/great-developers/#comment-12371 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:17:29 +0000 http://kylecordes.com/2007/10/31/great-developers/#comment-12371 FogBugz indeed competes with many other projects - there are over 100 open source issue tracking tools, and at least several dozen issue tracking tools. Windows competes with Linux. Word competes with AbiWord. The existence of open source products in a market segment confirms the segment exists, it does not necessarily mean there is no room for commercial products in the segment. FogBugz 1.0 was pretty ordinary, and Joel's site's popularity was no doubt vital to getting a foothold in the market for a basic 1.0 product. That was 5 major versions ago; FogBugz 6 is quite impressive, very featureful and polished. Trac and Mantis (open source tools that we use in projects here) are nice but they aren't comparable to FogBugz. FogBugz indeed competes with many other projects - there are over 100 open source issue tracking tools, and at least several dozen issue tracking tools. Windows competes with Linux. Word competes with AbiWord. The existence of open source products in a market segment confirms the segment exists, it does not necessarily mean there is no room for commercial products in the segment.

FogBugz 1.0 was pretty ordinary, and Joel’s site’s popularity was no doubt vital to getting a foothold in the market for a basic 1.0 product. That was 5 major versions ago; FogBugz 6 is quite impressive, very featureful and polished. Trac and Mantis (open source tools that we use in projects here) are nice but they aren’t comparable to FogBugz.

]]> by: Tim Skanner http://kylecordes.com/2007/10/31/great-developers/#comment-12349 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:56:17 +0000 http://kylecordes.com/2007/10/31/great-developers/#comment-12349 By themselves, Joel's products are pretty uninteresting. They're not extraordinary in any way and honestly, as far as product ideas go - they're rather dumb. They compete with many very good, very established free software suites. The only reason Joel's company exists at all is the sales driven off people that read his blog. Thats fine and all, but it really should be acknowledged for what it is. Just like Guy Kawasaki's Truemors site, it only exists because Guy himself pushes it - Guy's popularity is the key ingredient - Not because its an extraordinary or compelling site on its own (and I think Guy acknowledges that fact far more than Joel who seems to think his software packages are at all uncommon). By themselves, Joel’s products are pretty uninteresting. They’re not extraordinary in any way and honestly, as far as product ideas go - they’re rather dumb. They compete with many very good, very established free software suites.

The only reason Joel’s company exists at all is the sales driven off people that read his blog. Thats fine and all, but it really should be acknowledged for what it is. Just like Guy Kawasaki’s Truemors site, it only exists because Guy himself pushes it - Guy’s popularity is the key ingredient - Not because its an extraordinary or compelling site on its own (and I think Guy acknowledges that fact far more than Joel who seems to think his software packages are at all uncommon).

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