"Why" is not a bad question.

My children are in that stage of life when they are fascinated by the world and by knowing more about everything they encounter. It sometimes seems like I'm listening to a broken record when I hear the simple question, "Why?" fifty times in a row.  I love that they are curious, and I've endeavored to take that curiosity into my professional life.

In corporate culture today, people are often heavily discouraged, if not expressly forbidden, to ask why something is being done a certain way.  In other words, for the sake of a boss' ego, a perceived threat, or any myriad other shallow reasons, creativity is stifled, and innovation is squashed.  However, one of the luxuries and truly liberating aspects of running your own company is that no one can tell you not to do something.  After all, that's one of the things we all wanted out of being an adult.  "When I grow up no one can tell me when to go to bed" was a childhood thought we all had at some point in response to a mandated bedtime.  At Dynamic Iterations, we strive to foster that child-like curiosity, and never want to discourage innovation. 

It's OK to ask "Why?"

I've been involved in several start-ups at this point in my career.  Each one presents its own unique challenges and new possibilities.  Every time you come to a decision point on infrastructure, it is necessary to research options and reevaluate, because business and technology landscapes are ever-evolving.  Companies change, restructure, and sometimes disappear.  Technology gets better, faster, and cheaper.  To stay relevant, and save your bottom line, you must also evolve.

At Dynamic Iterations, we take the same methodical evaluative approach to our software design.  From which platforms to use, to innovative code configurations and methodologies, we constantly assess our options.  Just because we solved a particular problem a certain way in the past, does not mean that is the best approach for the current issue.  I'm sure it drives my partner crazy when I ask him why we are approaching a problem a certain way, but, in the end, we are always better for it.

Do I have to reinvent the wheel?

No.  This does not mean reinventing the wheel on every occasion.  Sometimes the way you did it last time is still the best way, and that's perfectly OK.  Not every problem will require a new approach, but you should still be in the mindset of considering whether or not it does.  Otherwise, your products will become stale, and your customers will become bored.  Worse yet, they may leave your platform entirely.

That's why every time our fingers meet the keys, we aim to provide the greatest solution available at that moment.  This is not only reflected in our work product, but also in the reactions of our clients when they see new features or enhancements to their platforms.  There is truly nothing like seeing your client's eyes light up and a satisfied grin appear on their face.  In that moment, you know the effort and commitment you have put into that relationship will be returned for years to come, and that's an indescribably good feeling.