Hello, daredevils out there. Have you ever tried ziplining at over 50 mph? My team did during our recent Summit in Copan Ruinas, Honduras. Some of us were very, very, very skeptical about doing this activity. Others were really excited and rode the zipline twice during the Summit. Why didn't some of us feel confident about trusting our lives to a steel cable and some mountain climbing gear? The answer is simple: Fear of the unknown.
Building custom software is a lot like trusting your life to a zipline. The stakes are high, and the payoff can be absolutely exhilarating. Successful custom software projects make everyone involved feel like they’re on cloud nine. The wind in your hair, the spectacular view, the amazing feeling of accomplishment! But it can also go badly: we hear grisly stories of failed products, blown budgets, or vanishing developers on a regular basis. No wonder some people are apprehensive about it. So how do you ever feel confident enough to jump off that platform into the unknown development process?
Consider the zipline: the steel cables were only about a centimeter thick and stretched across rocky gulfs. How did we ever feel safe enough to jump? The key is the experience of our guides. As we saw them hook in and zip down before us, our fear floated away like smoke from a fire. They coached us through each step, and were careful to strap us in safely at every point. They knew the pitfalls and how to stay safe, and they were as committed to our safety and success as they were their own. Likewise, when we build software here at Acklen Avenue, not only do we strive to melt away our clients’ fear by guiding them through the entire process, we also make sure we are working with the most trustworthy techniques and practices, the cleanest possible code, and the most scalable solutions.
In all seriousness, millions of people zipline every year and love it. It’s probably even safer than riding in a car or a plane, statistically speaking. But the fear of the unknown is strong! Once you experience the buttery smooth awesomeness of ziplining, the unknown melts away (and so does your fear). It’s like a lot of things in life: when you make the unknown “known”, you are able to enjoy the ride, the spectacular views, the feel of the wind in your hair and, in the end, a great sense of accomplishment. Welcome to our zipline. We will be your instructors. We will provide you the best helmet and pair of gloves you can imagine. We will ride the zipline with you and guide you, from strapping on your helmet and riding up the mountain to getting unclipped. For us, it's not only about being your zipline instructor, it's not only about you getting to the end of the zipline unharmed... it's about you having fun the whole ride.
See more A/A Summit highlights here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haJF_6oiPKE&feature=youtu.be
