I sit writing this commentary, 30,000 feet above terra ferma on Southwest flight 133 between Kansas City, MO and Baltimore, MD. I had been familiar with Southwest Airlines, its concept, and its business philosophy. Until this trip, I had not been a customer. Still, I had admired from afar its business philosophy of simplicity.

Simplicity, that very thing we strive for; whether it is in our personal or business lives. How does Southwest achieve its goals of simplicity and more importantly, profitability? First off, they do one thing with one thing. Lets start with the latter of with, a Boeing 737 aircraft. I don’t care where you go in this country, if you are flying Southwest, you are going to fly in a 737. By using one type of aircraft, Southwest achieves tremendous economies of scale. By focusing on one tool, the results become very predictable.

How about the former thing, the one thing Southwest does well? Getting passengers from one place to another, in a no frills fashion, simple and down to Earth. Southwest does not attempt to take its competition head on. In fact, it does not face its competition on the competition’s terms. Rather, it, Southwest, defines the rules of the game by targeting smaller, yet strategically placed airports. In effect, Southwest cultivates a niche. Not only does Southwest do one thing well, it does it with one thing. While I am by no means advocating that you use one application development tool in every situation, I do advocate that when you pick a tool, you undertake the time to understand it completely. Further, I am advocating that you pick your situations with some sort of strategy in mind as opposed to taking anything that comes across your plate.

Strategy, that is what its all about. One of my favorite books is the Art of War, by Sun Tzu. There is one quote that stands the test of time: “Every battle is one before it is ever fought…” It is all about understanding your competition, the guy you are up against. 30 years ago, the folks at Southwest Airlines figured this one out, in spite of the prevailing climate and in spite of others saying that it would be a colossal failure. If at first you understand what you are up against, you have a better than even chance at success. If you can’t take on the competition head on, out flank them.

So, what does this have to do with the modern application developer? Like Southwest, you need to cultivate a niche. You need to decide what it is you do well, and then run with that. Perhaps it is project mentoring or database design. Perhaps there is some specific line of business you know well. Who knows? The key is that the World in which we live is not getting simpler. Like Sun Tzu, like Southwest, you need to understand what you are up against. Every day, there is some new technology that ‘allegedly’ makes your application development efforts easier. And yet, if you are in the trenches, you know better. I suppose a more interesting question is which is your enemy: new technology or the completion? Or, are they one and the same?

Harking back to my Southwest metaphor, when was the last time you flew? How complex what should be a very simple exercise made? My experience matched the requirements of the situation. I check-in, get a seat, fly to my destination, and retrieve my luggage. All without the bull shit in between. No distractions whatsoever. Ask yourself when the last application development experience you had, had these results. Have you not dreamed of that project where it all clicked, all fit into place? When you embark on a new project, is it like an old friend or a new acquaintance? Remember, each time a Southwest flight takes off, it is that same old friend. Again, I should emphasize that I am not advocating sticking true to the same old things. Rather, I am advocating fully exploiting your opportunities to their fullest, to be used to build a foundation for new opportunities, to gain some predictability, some economies of scale. And of course, knowing and understanding the competition, wherever that competition may reside.

Am I becoming a Luddite? I don’t think so. Rather, I am looking for stability and simplicity. When it comes to new technology, methodologies, etc, I want to take and absorb them on my terms, not having them crammed down my throat. I believe what I am looking for is out there; I just need to find it.