I know, it isn’t the catchiest title. And really what I’m writing about isn’t a very interesting subject, but please give me a couple of minutes to tell you about something.
That something is software. Software made by small groups of people or maybe even just one person. Us in the industry call it “indie” software.
Indie software is made by a human being just like you (although that human probably has worse posture from sitting at a computer all day) and not a faceless corporation. That human being deeply cares about what she creates. I know that because if she didn’t then she wouldn’t be able to make a living off of it. Or perhaps she doesn’t make a living off of it but instead spends her free time bringing something new into the world. That’s even better in my eyes.
Just like a small business on Main Street, indie software creators really want to make you happy. They value your feedback and will do what they can to either fix your problem or add a feature. Obviously they can’t build every feature, but they’ll care enough to take the time to talk to you about it.
There isn’t always an indie software solution to your problem – some problems are too big for one person or a small team. But I’d like to ask you to do one small thing going forward:
Pay attention to who created your software. Was it Adobe Systems, a multinational corporation with over 11,000 employees who makes Photoshop? Or Flying Meat, a two person company who makes similar software called Acorn?