The case for continuous optimization

Do you remember your first iPod? How innovative and amazing it was? Carrying all your music in your pocket with a slick little device that you operated with a single touch dial and a screen. It was incredible. There really wasn’t anything wrong with it. It was near perfection. So who would ever think about the need for optimization of the most incredible MP3 player on the market?

Now think about the current version of the iPod. Think of how amazing it is. Yet what does it have in common with the original iPod? Just one thing. It still plays music from your pocket. That’s it. The interface, the design, the colors, the shape, the navigation…all different. Does it make the original iPod bad? No, not at all. It simply shows that there are always opportunities to make great things even better. Somewhere along the way, someone decided that there needed to be an optimization strategy for the best device on the market.

It still plays music from your pocket.

So what has changed in the past ten years as the iPod has evolved? Well, consumer behavior and interests for one thing. Gone are the days of buying CDs and “ripping” them into iTunes. Instead, the world is completely digital from recording through distribution, storage and playback. As well, consolidation of features and devices has become critical. Why need two or three devices when you can have just one (hence the development of the iPhone)? As well, design and style preferences have evolved. From functional but clunky, to sleek and simple. Touch screens are on everything from cars to refrigerators and mechanical parts are being replaced with software controlled panels.

The fact is, we need to constantly be focused on optimization as everything changes with time

The concept of consistent optimization is based on the notion that nothing is static. Preferences, trends, material design…always evolving. So it would make logical sense that even the best and most ideal products like the iPod need to be constantly trying to adapt and stay with, or ahead of the curve. A focus on consistent and always on optimization is the right approach. It doesn’t mean that anything old is bad, rather than good things can always be made better with the right focus on optimization strategies and improvement plans.