I recently enjoyed a lecture about creating anti-fragile systems for your business. The presenter shared a number of ideas about owning the platforms you use as a way to make sure your business isn’t caught off guard by rising prices or corporate takeovers that could leave you stuck without a critical part of your business. In principle, all well and good.
But…
Is the answer to building an anti-fragile software system, or an anti-fragile business in general, really to not rely on anyone? Build it yourself. Become your own island.
What happens when the boat breaks and no one on the mainland wants to send you the precious parts you desperately need?
It isn’t anti-fragile for a mid-sized manufacturing company to build and manage its own software. In fact, it’s more expensive, more hassle, and more overhead. When the person who built it leaves the company, or no one knows the code because it was cobbled together with a bot, you’re left with a serious problem.
If this doesn’t sink your business, you’re going to be reaching out to actual software companies to get you back in business. Because that is what they built their company to do.
So, what’s at the core of creating an anti-fragile tech stack?
It’s the same thing that has been at the center of good business from the very beginning: trusted relationships.
It turns out that Bill Withers was right. We do all need somebody to lean on.
OK, before you run out and get lathered up with patchouli oil and tie-dye shirts, hear me out.
There is nothing more fragile than running a business that gets into the business of doing all the things that other businesses do better, distracting you from the business that you do best.
Are you a small manufacturing company? Why become a small software company too?
Are you great at producing digital content that sells? Why not find a company that puts the same effort into great software as you do into your media?
There are lots of companies out there. Find one that will work hard for you. Find a great product with a great team who will get up at 2 a.m. to fix the software so that when you’re up at 2 a.m. fixing something else, you don’t have to worry about that too.
If your app platform isn’t doing this for you, switch to Treefort.
We work hard on your software so you can work hard on creating great content.
