Bold Words

Cork & Knife has kindly published a piece I wrote based on my earlier post on digging potatoes. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and gave it a boost.

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A few days ago, I wrote a post calling attention to the trouble Atlantic correspondent James Fallows was having with Windows Vista. Apparently, even he has had enough of Vista and reverted to XP. This situation leaves me shaking my head. However, Mr. Fallows makes the excellent point that:

Sooner or later, we will all (in the PC world) be using Vista. That’s how new computers will come.

So given the choice, wouldn’t Microsoft prefer that users actually wanted to use their operating system? Forced migration to something not as good rarely leads to a happy ending. Tossing aside the argument of Mac vs. PC for a minute, I’m left wondering why a company wouldn’t aim for better results, for happier customers.

Here’s the thing, I remember the days of having to boot up my computer using disks to run DOS. Windows 3.1 seemed light years ahead of what I could do in DOS (programming wasn’t my strong point). Windows 95 didn’t seem quite as amazing, but 2000 acted more stable (I loathed ME). Then there was XP. I’ve loved XP. However, I prepared myself for the day that Microsoft would ask me to move on to something else. I figured whatever came next would look like that leap between DOS and 3.1 because XP played out what we already expected in an operating system. Instead, we got Vista—the memory-draining, battery-sucking, DRM mess masquerading as an operating system.

Optimistic, I ordered a new laptop for my grandmother with Vista. Short story—she hasn’t had any serious issues, but the little I’ve had to work with it to set up email and network connections left me hating it. I went from planning to buy a new computer loaded with Vista to scrambling for a new PC that offered XP. I did the happy dance when Dell announced that certain models would offer XP as an option. (Yes, I considered a Mac, but I’ve had a less than stellar experience with Macs. I know, the exception to the rule. I do think they’re pretty.)

Microsoft isn’t the only company to stumble over its past. American car companies are still trying to recover from the Japanese invasion that shows no signs of slowing. Companies like General Motors are exhibiting more life than others. Cars and operating systems are only the beginning. The publishing industry, the music business—any of these sound familiar—are both struggling to stay relevant in the changing marketplace.

Even as a “technology” company, Microsoft is not immune to the changing tide and the need to innovate. Within the bowels of Microsoft, some really smart people are probably planning their next move to battle Google for world domination. In the meantime, if Microsoft can’t deliver a positive experience for individuals like James Fallows who were willing to give Vista a chance, it won’t matter what Microsoft plans for the future.

Although adoption of Vista is growing while Mac OS X use is staying flat, what will happen in the fall when Apple unveils its latest operating system, Leopard? Given Apple’s recent launch of the iPhone, and past results of other Apple launches, the user experience will likely surpass that of early Vista users.

During the recent dual interview of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, Jobs was asked about what drove the turnaround of Apple. He made the very astute observation that “Apple wasn’t going to beat Microsoft. It didn’t need to. It needed to remember that Apple was Apple.”(link) I think the same reasoning could apply for Microsoft with a twist.

Is it possible that Microsoft no longer needs to be all things to all people? What if Microsoft became the expert at providing the flexible framework for all other developers to hang their programs on? (I’m not a programmer, so if my idea isn’t feasible, please give me some wiggle room.) As I understand it, one of Microsoft’s big headaches is trying to make the thousands of programs, drivers, and all the other bits and pieces compatible with its new operating systems. What if that was someone else’s job? Wouldn’t that free Microsoft to build a truly dynamic operating system? Wait, it almost sounds like I’m describing an open development process. Now wouldn’t that be an amazing leap forward?

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I normally don’t post on Saturday, but I’m on vacation and I just felt the urge. I’ll beg your pardon from the beginning because this post is mostly self-serving. I’m revisiting a place I haven’t been to in almost 10 years, and I’m struck by how fast time goes by. The last time I visited Island Park, I’d just completed my freshman year of college. But it’s an even earlier trip 11 years ago that’s stuck in my mind. The summer between my junior and senior year of high school, I spent a week in Island Park with two girlfriends. To put the time in perspective, both have since married. One has two children, the other a little girl. I’m rarely in touch with the latter and have lost contact with the former. Time does march on.

But it’s a crazy week I’ll never forget. One night, driving around Henry’s Lake we ended up at a crossroad. Turn right and head back to the condo for the night, or turn left and head into Montana. Staying true to a youthful sense of invincibility, I turned left and we drove into the night, wearing our pajamas, without money, cell phones, or common sense. We ended up in Ennis, Montana, driving down Main Street right at closing time based on the chairs being stacked in the bars. A quick u-turn sent us back the way we’d come. That was it. We were in pajamas. Our daring only went so far. We made it back without hitting wildlife or getting pulled over by the police. I could perhaps explain the attire, but explaining the lack of a license would be trickier.

This vacation has stuck in my mind. We didn’t do anything particularly exciting (random road trip excluded). We swam, fed the fishes, and walked through West Yellowstone. But the memories stick because it was a time where I still believed I could do anything. Few people retain that belief as they grow older. They recognize that responsibilities and restrictions can hamper choices, making it harder to believe. That summer, that week to be precise, also marked the beginning of a seven-year relationship with a boy (and I knowingly use “boy”). Short story—it didn’t work out. That week sticks because it was spent with people I cared about. Even though it was the beginning of summer, in some ways it was a farewell. My friends had graduated a few weeks earlier and were headed to college in the fall. I still had a year of high school left. As the saying goes, things would never be the same.

I’m definitely on a nostalgia trip, but more importantly, I’m reviewing where I’m at in life. I can’t say that at 17 I knew exactly what I wanted, but I don’t think I could have predicted where I’ve ended up. I’ve started my own business. It’s young, and I’m sure I’ll hit bumpy spots, but the experience has been very empowering. It’s helped restore that earlier belief that I can do anything. My life has shown me that in spite of the nonsense that invariably crosses your path, amazing things can still happen. You can still experience a renaissance, and it doesn’t have to wait until you’re 40.

Right now, we’re at a point where reinventing yourself on a regular basis is acceptable. Doing one thing in your 20s and another in your 30s causes fewer eyebrows to rise with each passing year. From what I can see, more people are pushing back against the notion that who you think you’ll be at 40 isn’t necessarily who’ll be at 50 or at 60. Access to information and expanding technology only make it easier to reinvent, to cast yourself anew. My feed reader is filled with stories about people creating their own worlds, defining their idea of success and happiness. In spite of the ugliness that fills the news, I feel like there’s never been a greater time to be alive. The possibilities are endless, as are the challenges. But that’s what makes it so exciting. It’s not a giveaway, but options exist today that didn’t exist 10 years ago. I believe the same will be true 10 years from now too.

This trip has reminded me that a lot can happen. Life doesn’t always go as planned. And unexpected things can happen, shaking up your world, and changing how you see things. Today, I’m not entirely that girl from 11 years ago, but I’m happy to discover that the parts I liked most are still there. I’ll be curious to see what changes the next 11 years bring.

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A little technical update…I’ve started running my feed through Feedburner. There’s three ways to update your feed. One, click here and select your preferred reader. Two, go to my blog home page and click on the orange chiclet in the right column. Three, under “add subscriptions” in your reader, type in this address: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BoldWords. Whichever method you choose, you can then delete the original subscription from your reader. I suspect there are other, easier ways, and I’ve just given you the hardest three. Hopefully, one of them will work for you. Thanks for your patience and support.

Email me at boldwords {at} gmail {dot} com if you have any problems. (Replace the ‘at’ and ‘dot’ with the appropriate symbols, of course.)

Today I ran some letters to the post office. And lucky for me, a sign on the outside boxes kindly reminded that the rate, as of May 14th, goes up to 41 cents for a 1st class stamp. Cursing my poor memory (I heard about the change last Wednesday), I marched into the post office wearing my work day grubbies and applied the needed one-cent stamps.

I can’t decide which is more frustrating: that I remember the days when stamps cost a quarter, or that we keep futzing around with penny price increases. And now, the post office has taken on the role of a warehouse club.

“If it could ring, it would resonate freedom and independence from using one or two-cent stamps to mail letters when stamp prices change in the future. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) today introduced its latest consumer innovation by dedicating the Forever Stamp next to the patriotic icon it depicts. Featuring the Liberty Bell image and the word “forever,” the Forever Stamp — available nationwide today — is good for mailing one-ounce First-Class Mail letters anytime in the future — regardless of price changes.” (link)

What promotes this type of small thinking cloaked as a revolution? Why isn’t the post office thinking beyond future penny increases? This program seems a pale imitation of Amazon’s Prime Program that, for a yearly fee, allows for free two-day shipping. (link)

Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, had to weigh the potential—shoppers buying more frequently and making larger purchases because of convenience—over the risk of the guy who only spends $10. By thinking big with programs like Prime, Amazon has seen a resurgence.

“Net sales increased 32% to $3.02 billion in the first quarter, compared with $2.28 billion in first quarter 2006.” (link)

And Amazon isn’t done thinking big. In spite of critics, Amazon continues to push into areas it believes hold value. According to Bezos,

“we’re trying to leverage an existing asset, skill or competency—something we think we’re really good at. So while these businesses are different, they aid each other. We cannot operate our consumer business without these pieces of Web-scale infrastructure.” (link)

When organizations and individuals think small, they miss opportunities. Amazon isn’t the only company to get it right. Apple thought big with the iPod. But whether the iPhone proves equally big is still a question mark. Individuals and companies will not always succeed at thinking big. In fact, failure can be the catalyst for the biggest ideas of all.

Few people are blessed with the genius that repeatedly strikes gold every single time. For most of us, success requires a willingness to think, to scheme, and to hope. Thomas Edison performed thousands of experiments (the actual number is in some dispute) before he found a way to make the incandescent light a viable option for the masses.

“Hell, there are no rules here - we’re trying to accomplish something,” said Edison. (link) Along the way, Edison came up with the phonograph and the Kinetoscope. In total, Edison received 1,093 U.S. patents. (link)

Back to the post office. We still rely on snail mail even in an increasingly digital world. Why not think big and find a way to combine the two worlds? When you limit your thinking to pennies and price club tactics, you limit your options, even if you’re a monopoly. Edison points out that, “if we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” (link) I think it’s past time that the post office astounded itself.

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