I just came from an event in Dubai which showcased product concepts for the Web and Mobile. It was my first time attending such an event and I must say it was not what I was expecting. I thought that it was going to be a large ‘fair’ like what we have in high school where we display our projects. It turned out to be a conference where people, 6 groups in this case, go behind the podium and discuss their products to everyone.
The products that were showcased ranged from mobile apps where you can buy stuff, place an order and track the delivery guy’s location (gps), a travel website where you can book the cheapest flights, a social site that displays your brain compatibility with your friends and others.
There was one app exclusively for Blackberry (at the moment) which you can use while doing your workout, jogging and while comparing or playing with your ‘friends’.
I am sure those sites and apps were products of long hours of planning and development. Involved some amount of budget, inspiration and perspiration. But unfortunately none of them created a buzz. My observation is that the crowd is less enthusiastic about the products, which was evident on the tweets for the event’s hashtag, and by the tone of questions that the audience throw at the presenters.
I am not out to judge them but I just noticed that most products from that conference and the rest that I see on the web now are trying to do a lot of things at a time. Take for example the food order app. I don’t know about you but I do not need to know exactly which lattitude or longitude the guy delivering my pizza is. I care about when he rings our doorbell and deliver my food fresh and hot.
The social app that scans your face, takes a reading (an assumption) of your brain and comes up with typical traits associated with your brain type and then compares it with your friends – that can share links, bookmarks, etc. Huh? OK so maybe I did not get how the product really works but that’s I think the general reaction in that room then.
Why try to do everything? I ask myself. Google did not have Adsense, Keyword Tool, Analytics, Blogging, etc when it started. It started as a search engine. A plain white page with a logo, input box, and a search button. (Not sure if the I’m feeling lucky button is there in the beginning). That’s just what it was. Google was the game changer. We were used to Directories like Yahoo! and MSN Search but Google gave us – a working search engine. Search results that give out the closest proximity to our query, unlike directories.
Facebook, The web product of this decade (my opinion) – the site that has now close to 600Million users and a movie in its bio did not start with all the functions and buttons that it has now.
Facebook did not have Places, Farmville, Poker, Tagging, Chat, even Wall posting was not in version 1.
Both Google and Facebook started simple, easy to use – maybe not at first albeit easy to learn and get used to after a few clicks here and there. Both have a thing in common. It simply works.
Why is it that most of the apps or websites now try to do anything and everything? Are they trying to catch up? Or simply just want a piece of the ‘social networking’ craze without really knowing what they can deliver or their place in the suddenly crowded niche of web and mobile.
I wish developers and businessmen come up with more products that are simple, useful, relevant and cross-platform. That will be the formula of the next great product.
Good night 
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Disclaimer: This piece like most of the posts in my blog is written as spontaneous as possible, without due research except for what I can remember. Don’t take things I write too seriously. If you do need to point out some things or speak your mind too – hit the comments section!
