Progress without pain is a reasonable expectation.
At a previous employer, my colleague in software product management had a mantra, “never apologize for making progress.” This simple axiom was applied whenever we, as a software vendor, had to impose upon the customer base to accept changes, sometimes painful, if the reasons were good. Some changes were mandated by our own partners – the OS or database versions went obsolete. Some were mandated by us, as we repaired defects, or revamped approaches to help our customers get more value from our products. In all cases, the combination of the technology at the time plus the mission-critical nature of that software, all but guaranteed some customers would push back on accepting the changes. “Never apologize for making progress,” Tom would say. “We can’t stop the industry from advancing the products we rely on, and we can’t improve anyone’s experience with our own products unless we are allowed to make changes.”
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Is your technology getting to know all about you?
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David EricksonSupply Chain Software Development Veteran, Efficiency Expert, Ergonomy Fanatic 
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