How important is user focus? Which users and who determines that? Does a user become unimportant because they are considered a "sure thing", much like after the honeymoon? New users become the focus, so we can take our core user base for granted? Or do we only care about the loudest customers? Do we only like the nicest customers, or those who come to us willingly in a format that works better for us, like forums? Is the only user information that matters what comes through a scientific process, such as usability studies, or are survey results sufficient to stand alone?

Are money, comparative sales statistics, and support cost comparisons a true measure of focus on the user?

How do we sift through that user data?

It matters to me very much how users feel. That is not scientific. Do you love this software?

At my company, I used to feel that user advocacy was a valued part of testing. Now I feel the trends are shifting. If the user you are advocating for isn't the main focus of the target market segment they would like to capture, they are of little importance. Even in Girl Scouts we learned "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other's gold." It isn't stubborn or holding on to the past to stand up for the CORE users who built your company and paid for everything you are developing now, nor is it betrayal to keep up with industry trends and note what people need to do right now and in the future. I think it is critical that all users are considered.

Have you ever gone to a college class where they are teaching your software and talked to the people there? I have. I helped at a class held in New York for a product I worked on on a customer visit. I also was a student. How hard is it to learn to use this stuff? Are they having fun? After that class we went to a shop that had been using it forever. There were some things still keeping them from having fun even though they knew so much about the product. More than we did in some areas, especially on how it interacted with other software.

This battle being waged for the developers has gone too far. Most users of software are not all scripting and coding (except, of course, for Visual Studio and other products which coding is their only purpose). How as testers can we stop corporations from throwing their loyal users out the window to make more room for untapped markets?

I'm still looking for the answer. I'm hoping that some percentages would help. What percent of our users are doing ________ vs. what percent are doing _________? How much do we invest in maintaining the users we already have vs. getting new ones?

Some growth is good growth, even if done fast. Do you know what you call fast growth that eats away at your health and eventually kills you? You call that cancer. I understand that software isn't some utopia. It's a business. I get it. It must be financially viable. However, that doesn't mean it has to be cut-throat, uncooperative, predatory, and uncaring. User focus should be more than a token buzzword that you spend a few hours on to appear informed while you really do whatever you want. It shouldn't be to impress someone else. It shouldn't be the handbag you carry when it matches your outfit. It should be the very coat you wear to survive a cold winter. It should surround your core business. It is vital. It is the reason your company exists. You can't just "forget about it" and do something else.

One thing I'll never be for my boss is the most technical and detailed person on that team. I'll also never be the most politically savy person. I suppose I can give you the more technical part or the more politically aware part of me, but really, you just get me. I will always be the caring person who will work hard, who will grow, and who will do what it takes to not let you down. That person you can throw some stagnant task at that isn't prepared and I won't take time to switch gears. That person who wants to try something new. Most software companies have many people who will follow any trend or buzzword to appear informed and get the top dollar they can. I'm not very money motivated. Apparently my sense of self-preservation also isn't so strong as evidenced by this blog. Long after my software ships I still have to live with myself and my decisions and my integrity. I'd rather have an opportunity to show what I can do and more experience than more financial reward.