Jesse Newcomer, Mobile Development Manager with Homes.com, says, “We have a Windows Phone app for Homes.com, but we don’t have new projects planned for the platform. Having worked on all three mobile platforms I do prefer the Windows development environment due to the superior Visual Studio IDE and debugging features. However, with the rapidly developing mobile environment the time/resource investment in developing a Windows Phone app is not justifiable for us. With limited resources and time, we see a better return on developing for the vastly larger user base of iOS and Android.”

James Cropcho, Chief Technology Officer at Fashism, says the number of devices is a big factor, “but so is knowing who is using them. If the app is for Windows7FanSite.net a Microsoft client is a good bet, but otherwise likely not.

“Also consider that developing a great native mobile app is pretty damn hard and costly, so Microsoft: you have to really make me want it. Otherwise I’ll stick to the platforms with the people on them.”

Ow! “…platforms with the people on them.” That is a major punch in the gut for Microsoft — and this isn’t from a guy who works on WeLoveLinuxAndHateWindows.com, but someone who works on the kind of consumer-oriented Web site that is almost certainly visited heavily by Windows computer users. And Homes.com isn’t an obscure geek site either. Hmmm.

But not everyone has given up on Windows Phone. From Simon Lee, CEO of Locassa Ltd: “We’re an iOS agency at heart but I have to say I really like the UI and foresight that Microsoft are taking with their platform. The UI is clean and Microsoft have always understood that developers are the ones who make or break a platform, something Google, and even Apple, sometimes miss. We are still waiting for Nokia to send us the free device we were promised (*nudge*) but can’t wait to see what we can do with it! Anyone who says Microsoft is too late to the party hasn’t been watching closely enough.”

Fair enough.

From Chris Maddern, CEO at AppLaunch, an online tool to help indie developers get their Apps in front of reviewers:

(This is) something that we recently surveyed our customers at AppLaunch about. The result came back as a staggering 87% no (~800 responses).

A summary of the key reasons were:

• not a big enough addressable market
• wrong perceived demographic (I.e. boring big biz types)
• yet another development environment and language – likely requiring new hires as almost no startups have Microsoft.net in their stack
• lack of confidence that they will succeed this time around after several ‘failed’ OSes

Interestingly, a large number of those developing for Windows Phone had received money, development or in-kind benefits from Microsoft directly to fund the creation of their WinPhone Apps!! (~30%)

From Brian Geary, Marketing Coordinator for AndPlus LLC, a
mobile development company in Worcester, Massachusetts:

It does and it doesn’t make sense to develop for Windows Phone. As of today, Windows Phone doesn’t hold much market share when compared to iPhone and Android in the United States. (Android with 51%, iPhone with 34% Blackberry with 8% and Windows Phone with just 4.5%) But in my opinion, we are going to see a shift in that trend, where Android and iPhone will still be far ahead of the other operating systems, and Windows Phone taking over Blackberry’s stronghold in the number three spot. This surge in the Windows Phone user base will most likely attract developers to the operating system and only strengthen the Windows phone even more.

Another factor that is coming into play is Windows 8 tablets. Microsoft is planning on releaseing Windows 8 tablets before the end of 2012. This is important to Windows Phone developers because Windows 8 and the upcoming Windows Phone 8 are going to work hand and hand with one another. So today, it may not be a great idea to develop strictly for Windows Phone, but it should definitely be a strong consideration for developers in the near future.

That’s a good point about the soon-to-be-released Microsoft tablets. In other words, even if you’re not interested in developing for Windows Phone today, it’s wise to keep an eye on it, because there’s a good chance that it might yet have enough users that your apps had *better* run on it.

• Listening. On the surface this seems really trivial, but it’s a critical skill. Not just hearing and understanding what people are saying, but confirming the understanding. One way I try to do this is to repeat back what I heard. “Bob, I think I heard you ask for three things. First, Next, Finally… Did I miss anything?”
• Don’t Interrupt. If I’m interrupting I’m not listening. And I’m likely not applying the next skill either.
• Be a force for calm. Learn to help reduce tension in a conversation by not escalating a disagreement. Even when I think someone else is wrong, I’ve learned to first ask for more information, then invite the other person to work with me in checking out the facts. There is a lot less stress when we remain focused on the issues at hand rather than the people discussing them.
• Present ideas in a concise, organized way. This doesn’t have to be done alone. Groups like Toastmasters can help develop this skill through practice and feedback.

Roberta Chinsky Matuson, President of Human Resource Solutions, says, “Here are three of the most essential skills IT and technical people must possess or develop”:

• In order to be an effective IT person, you need to be able to share your ideas with others. People need to fully understand what you are saying in order to comply with your request. Work on improving your communications skills and you will see an immediate difference in the reaction you get from those that work with you and around you.
• Explaining IT terms in a way that any non-IT person can understand. There is nothing more frustrating to a non-techie than listening to someone talk circles around them. In the end, they usually tune out and the task never gets done. Explain technical matters at a level that can be easily understood by your audience.
  Improve your social skills.
• Many technical people prefer to spend time with their hardware. Advancement in organizations is all about relationships. Learn to relate better to your boss and your co-workers and doors will begin to open for you.

Dr. Deb Brown is “a business coach and licensed psychologist with a Ph.D., an MBA, DDI certification as a facilitator, award-winning leadership skills, and years of experience partnering with leaders at all organizational levels.” She says:

• Many IT professionals have a “Technical” communication style, which can sometimes conflict with other styles, such as “Bold” or “Expressive.” A Bold supervisor, for example, might see a Technical IT professional as too rigid, too slow/calculating, or too worried about the details to see the Big Picture. And an Expressive co-worker might see a Technical IT professional as too unemotional/cold and critical or judgmental, because people with a Technical style (as a general rule) pride themselves on accuracy and detest incompetence.
• The Technical IT professional, in turn, might perceive their Bold supervisor as aggressive, intimidating, and overwhelming. And they might see their Expressive co-workers as unfocused, hyper, irrational, and annoying.
• So in my opinion, the most essential steps for an IT professional to take are 1) learn about their own communication style and others’ styles, and 2) learn how to interact with different styles most effectively.

This is a good bit of advice to mull over. But if you take in some or most of it, you will see new opportunities open up for you sooner or later.

• Let’s face it, computers are easier to deal with than ‎people. Computers have deterministic behavior – even when we can’t discover what is causing the behavior. Computers are consistent and don’t have “bad days.” And although I got into a technology career because of a passion for technology, the further I go in my career, The more I find myself spending time with people rather than machines.

  So what are the “people skills” required to advance our careers?

  Listening. On the surface this seems really trivial, but it’s a critical skill. Not just hearing and understanding what people are saying, but confirming the understanding. One way I try to do this is to repeat back what I heard. “Bob, I think I heard you ask for three things. First, Next, Finally. Did I miss anything?”

  Don’t Interrupt. If I’m interrupting I’m not listening. And I’m likely not applying the next skill either.

  Be a force for calm. Learn to help reduce tension in a conversation by not escalating a disagreement. Even when I think someone else is wrong, I’ve learned to first ask for more information, then invite the other person to work with me in checking out the facts. There is a lot less stress when we remain focused on the issues at hand rather than the people discussing them.

  Present ideas in a concise, organized way. This doesn’t have to be done alone. Groups like Toastmasters can help develop this through practice and feedback.

Roberta Matuson, president of Human Resource Solutions, has some advice we’ve heard before, but need to hear again. She says, “Explaining IT terms in a way that any non-IT person can understand” is particularly important, and adds:

• There is nothing more frustrating to a non-techie than listening to someone talk circles around them. In the end, they usually tune out and the task never gets done. Explain technical matters at a level that can be easily understood by your audience.

Dan Nainan, a comedian, actor, and computer expert, says, “Tech people need a sense of humor!” He continues:

• I know, because I was a painfully shy senior engineer with Intel Corporation. My job was to travel the world with Chairman Andy Grove, doing technical demonstrations on stage at events, and I was incredibly nervous about speaking on stage. I took a comedy class to get over the fear, and the comedy kind of took off.

  Since then, I have performed at the Democratic National Convention, at a TED Conference, at three presidential inaugural events, for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and many similar luminaries. I just recently performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Also, I appeared in an Apple commercial last year. I perform all over the States as well as in many foreign countries. My life is like that of George Clooney in “Up in the Air”, just without the sex LOL.

And, hopefully, without firing a lot of people.

But whimsically, folks, the point isn’t whether or not you get out of IT work to become a comedian, but that you should be as approachable as possible as an IT person.

That way, if someone hears you trying to be funny, and says, “Don’t drop your day job,” you have a pretty good chance of keeping that day job — or even of finding a better one!