The Importance of Staying Focused on Original Purpose in Project Development

The pursuit of technical innovation can be all-consuming, and it's easy to get lost in the details of a project or application development process. As geospatial professionals, project managers, and developers, we often become so engrossed in perfecting the technical aspects that we forget about the original purpose behind the project.

I've seen this phenomenon firsthand in poorly executed projects and applications. While it's unlikely that an application will come to life and harm our loved ones like Frankenstein's monster, the consequences of a final product that doesn't meet its intended goal can still be severe.

It's essential to strike a balance between technical innovation and original purpose. Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist in Mary Shelley's classic novel, made this mistake when he became so focused on creating the perfect man that he lost sight of his goal. He spent nearly two years working tirelessly without pausing to consider the bigger picture.

I personally relish the challenge of attaching the veins, arteries, and muscle fibers of an application, but it's crucial not to get too caught up in the details. As I did in my own project, we can become so consumed by our work that we forget about the original purpose and end up with a final product that is unrecognizable from what we initially set out to create.

In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein's creation, Adam, is an 8-foot-tall, lustrous black-haired, pearly white-toothed being. However, this was not intended by the creator, who had envisioned creating a human of average size. The story serves as a powerful analogy for the project and application development process, highlighting the importance of staying focused on the original goal.

In conclusion, while it's natural to get excited about technical innovation, it's crucial to ensure that we don't lose sight of the original purpose behind our projects or applications. By keeping our eyes on the prize, we can avoid the mistakes of Victor Frankenstein and create something truly remarkable.

I had desired it with an ardour