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Analogically, I see it as doing origami while your house is fully engulfed in flames. It doesn’t really matter whether you are a master of paper folding, because other issues obviate and destroy your good works. 1
There are thousands of conscientious, skilled practitioners who want nothing more than to create superb quality products with beguiling and powerful interactions. 2
But the sad truth is that businesses are fully engulfed in the flames of runaway capitalism. Yes, they can make money by creating great products, but they can make LOTS more by creating evil products. 3
And they can hire second tier practitioners to do it. And pay them less money. And send them to cheesy two-day training classes where they learn hacks and cheats and get a certificate because it’s cheaper than a real education. 4
So, promising young practitioners are steered towards bogus practice, while being told they are the best, asked to move pixels around on the deck of the Titanic, paid middling money, given little job security, and live a life of quiet Silicon Valley desperation. 5
Actually, they are paid pretty well, but they have no job security, and in America today, everyone, EVERYONE, is just one car crash, disagreement with the boss, or health crisis away from living in a cardboard box down by the river. 6
Tech practitioners are “told” to do great work, but they are compensated for doing mediocre work. Thus, there is rampant confusion within the practice. 7
That’s why you get pitched battles between flavors of agile or flavors of design or flavors of product management. The facts on the ground don’t correlate with words in air. 8
Runaway capitalism means burning down your infrastructure, igniting your assets, and making a killing selling tickets to the blaze. Well-meaning practitioners, intent on creating something of value, are simply folding paper into swans that immediately crisp and blacken. 9
