Restaurants at the end of the Web...

As noted earlier, I’ve spent most of the last month working with the Software Factories team. It’s easily the most exciting thing I’ve been involved in since the inception of the Web.

However, like many previous non-linear shifts in thinking, it can be both difficult to describe and easily misunderstood. Having faced this problem many times I’m going to stick my foot into it once again and try to explain the difference between the way we do things now and the way developers will work with a Software Factory.

Before I say anything else, let me say, once again, Software Factories are not intended to make developers into drones nor are they designed to put anyone out of business. They are, just as assemblers and compilers were, designed to make it easier to develop certain types software.

There, now that that’s out-of-the-way, let me say that Software Factories will change how many developers deliver software to customers.

Ok, now what, you ask, is this about restaurants...

By far the easiest analogy I’ve been able to use to explain Software Factories is one related to the preparation of food. (Please note: I didn’t invent this type of analogy but I think I am now able to use it in a way that is easy to understand…so here goes).

For your dining pleasure I present three of SoftwareLand’s finest eating establishments:

1. Irv The ISV’s Custom Diner

We make each meal one-at-a-time…and we never make it until you ask for it!

Scenario: We don't specialize in anything. A GENERIC diner which serves you anything you want built from scratch every time.

2. The Consultancy Buffet

We make it our way, before you get here!

Scenario: Specializing in the kind of food we think want you to want to eat and nothing else.

3. Factorio Sofwario

We offer the finest cuisine prepared to order from our world-famous recipes

Scenario: A DOMAIN SPECIFIC food preparation environment that serves EXACTLY the kind of food you want to eat from a menu of reasonable choices.

In the next three days I’ll explain in detail how each of these works and wrap it up with a set of reviews and recommendations.