Harmonica? Really?

Yes, I've started a technology consulting firm and named it after an instrument that's too often seen as a toy, and dismissed by serious musicians. But that's the point. Over the years I've seen simple solutions dismissed in favor of large and expensive projects that, if they don't fail entirely, produce complex systems that cost too much, don't make sense, and don't even meet the original need very well.

Simple solutions work. More importantly, they get done quickly, so you can get on with your business, get your product in front of customers, and find out if it's even worth further investment. Spend your energy talking to your customers and seeing how your product really works, rather than managing unmanageable projects that bleed money, energy and morale.

Unfortunately, it's often consulting firms that propose these horridly elaborate solutions, sometimes over the vociferous objections of staff who know better. As a product manager, it's easy to get caught between outsiders with big ideas, and knowledgeable staff stuck in the daily routine. I started this company because I know the value of an outside perspective, but only when it's coupled with actual listening and a focus on sensible solutions.

No one dismisses the harmonica once they've heard someone play it for real. A simple solution can be very powerful, and more importantly, tasteful and appropriate. That's what Harmonica is here for.

(And yes, I do play the harmonica, mostly in acoustic bluegrass, traditional and old-time music.)