In case you haven't heard, this week saw the release of the FileMaker Pro 9 Bible. Written by Ray Cologon (of NightWing Enterprises, a FileMaker Pro consulting and development firm based in Melbourne Australia) and Dennis R. Cohen (who also coauthored the FileMaker Pro 8.5 Bible), this is a complete rewrite of the previous edition of the FileMaker Pro Bible.
It is always good to hear that new FileMaker-related books have been released. I'm not sure about the other developers out there, but whenever I am at one of our local booksellers, I always make my way to the Computer section with the hope that some new FileMaker book will miraculously be sitting there on the shelves waiting for me. I'm looking forward to picking this one up!
Pick up a copy of the FileMaker Pro 9 Bible in the The FileMaker Addict Books and Software Store.
FileMaker Addict Has Moved!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Susan Prosser
Developer / Author
dbhq
After reading a few of her answers, I think you'll easily be able to tell that Susan Prosser is a professional writer with what appears to be a natural born talent. Her answers are well thought out, logically presented, and best of all, interesting! Susan is perhaps best known as the co-author of the popular FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual which she co-wrote with Geoff Coffey. Susan is also the owner of dbhq, a FileMaker certified consulting firm based in Gilbert, Arizona. Read on to learn more about Susan.
How did you get started in IT? And how did you get started with FileMaker?
I’m still shocked to think that anybody could say that I’m in IT. My degree is in journalism, with an English minor. I was going to save the world by bringing information to the people. Computer classes were required for acceptance into j-school, but one session required punch-card programming, so I wangled an exception because I couldn’t stand the tedium. Couldn’t see the application to my work, either. So much for prescience.
Fifteen years ago, I was a reporter at a very small, weekly newspaper. I covered the city and cop beats, plus culture, if you can imagine that mix. I saw FileMaker the first time when we built a database to track our classified ads. It handled everything from order taking to paste up. When I left the newspaper, I had a whole slew of part-time jobs. I did graphic design, and had several jobs teaching software to end-users. Inevitably, when I taught FileMaker, somebody was there to learn enough to build or maintain a database that ran some part of their job. Often, a student would throw up her hands and ask me to do the work.
And that’s how I got my first big client, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It was a big job, but was supposed to take three months from start to finish. I was a raw consultant in those days, and the project manager wasn’t great at defining requirements. Plus, the rules kept changing and scope creep was gigantic. It took us a year to launch and it was in development for nearly 10 years. Despite many mistakes (er, “learning opportunities”), and even though it’s never been converted to .fp7, that database is still in use over at the Law Enforcement division of USFWS. It was supposed to be retired about five years ago, in favor of a nationwide SQL thing, but last I heard, that project was still not doing everything our little FM database could do. Staff couldn’t, or wouldn’t, tell me how over-budget it was.
So that first big project let me go out on my own. I loved design, but it was a very competitive, dog-eat-dog world. The other FileMaker developers I met weren’t competitive, and, far from flinging their arms protectively around their work, they opened their offices and ideas to me. Clients didn’t balk so much at reasonable bill rates, so I gradually let the design clients slip away and focused completely on FileMaker.
Tell us about your company, dbhq.
DBHQ is expanding. For a long time, it was just me, and a loose syndicate, made up of the other Phoenix-area FileMaker developers. We’d all work together for specific projects whenever something was too big for the resources at hand. But I’m now working with a junior developer, and am getting an intern. It’s an interesting period of transition, from being a one-person shop to learning how to hand off work to other folks. I resisted it for a long time, knowing that it changes my whole work method, plus, my clients prefer getting the full attention of a firm’s principle on their projects. The key thing is to maintain quality of product and customer service while staff expands. It’s not easy, but it’s exciting and eventually, everybody will benefit from the flexibility.
You've done work for clients in a wide variety of sectors -- from government, to education, retail, medical, and more. Are there are projects that you've worked on that you particularly enjoyed working on? Are there any that you'd prefer to forget?!?
I had some pretty grim experiences over at FWS. When I came onboard, 100+ field offices were using whatever method they wanted to track finances. Some of them were barely using computers at the time. The culture over there was that the management would set requirements and the users would just have to suck it up in the name of consistency, because the database would be mandated across the board. So when we held the first demo/training classes, the staff came armed with torches and pitchforks. What surprised me most was that a few people were very personal in their attacks. And the project manager didn’t do much to defend me, either. Fortunately, we also got a handful of converts who really loved the database and they became my champions. So after a shaky start, it did turn out very well.
Even though there weren’t a lot of warm fuzzies for me early on, it really serves as a cautionary tale, and I’ll never forget those lessons. I learned firsthand some of the many ways a project can get derailed, so now, I can usually head those problems off at the pass.
These days I have some really tech savvy clients, who poke at the boundaries and really make me and FileMaker stretch. In Paradise Valley school district, we’ve written an IWP database for letting kids take multiple-choice tests where the individual questions were tied to national standards. The teacher gets real-time feedback about whether the students are grasping the concept or not. I’m also working with a doctor who specializes in brain function. He sees clients with brain injury, ADD/AHDD, autism, alcoholism, and many other brain issues. We’re using FileMaker to keep client histories, and map about 20 different tests so that he can deliver progress charts and make therapy assignments to his clients. Some of these tests map almost 100 locations in the brain every few seconds for up to a half an hour, so we’re processing tens of thousands of records per test. We’re in the process of converting that system from FileMaker only to a FileMaker/SQL hybrid.
Tell us about some of the other projects that you are either currently working on, or that you've recently completed.
Maybe the coolest thing I get to do is to help O’Reilly Media with their FileMaker stuff. Recently, I’ve been working with VP Sara Winge on expanding their Friends of O’Reilly database (we call it the Foo Spotter). We’re using IWP to help manage O’Reilly’s famous Foo Camps.
You co-authored FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual with Geoff Coffey. In my interview with Geoff, he said, "It was a real joy to have another FileMaker guru to bounce ideas off of, and the journey was relatively stress free." What are your thoughts on writing the book? And do you have any other books in the works?
Geoff’s right, it was a great experience this time around. Thanks, buddy. Most of the work had been done for TMM v8, so we got to plan way ahead, and work on some parts of the book that needed improvement. We added quite a bit of material, and very little got cut, so even though it’s a bigger book, it’s more refined now. We’re both very proud of it.
That said, no writing job is completely stress free. No matter how much I write, it never gets easy, because I have higher expectations every time. I often think about writing more books, but it’s really a labor of love and it takes two to three times longer than you think it will, even when you’re pretty good at it. But the thing I like most about writing is how it helps me organize my thoughts. As I muse on the best way to express an idea, the mess that’s swirling around up there in the old brain pan gets clarified and distilled. There’s a huge personal benefit to writing well that programmers can benefit from, even if no eyeballs but your own ever scan it.
Back when FileMaker 7 was released, you worked on the "Stairway to Seven" course with Geoff and Jerry Robin (of FMPtraining.com). How was that different from writing the Missing Manual?
The target audience was very different for one thing. When Geoff and I wrote for Jerry, we’d all been doing FileMaker training for years, so we had a really good idea what people wanted to know about moving from the old paradigm to the new. We left lots of foundational material out of Stairway to Seven, because we were preaching to a really skilled choir.
Writing that curriculum was fundamental for me, though, because, like a lot of developers at the time, I was mourning the loss of all that hard work I’d done to learn stupid FileMaker tricks and hacky workarounds for the pre-7 architecture. I was seriously considering a return to graphic design at that point, because I wasn’t sure I wanted to relearn my career just to carry on in the same field. But like I said, writing well makes you clarify your thoughts, and I became convinced that first, the chasm wasn’t nearly as wide as I’d feared, and second, the view’s a whole lot better on this side of the divide. Five years on, I can’t believe I was ever worried.
But the mission statement for The Missing Manual series is very different. We were writing for more casual users, who may not even have a solid grasp of what a database is, but who still need to have a developer’s insight into FileMaker. So, even some seasoned developers have said they learned things from TMMs. There’s a whole lot of territory between explaining how to type data in a field and how to troubleshoot a sophisticated script. Geoff and I lobbied hard to keep some of the tougher concepts in the book, on the promise that we could make them “feel” easy, or at least attemptable, for beginners.
In 2006, you won the "Mad Dog" public relations award from FileMaker for helping raise awareness of FileMaker. Tell us a what you have been doing to raise that awareness, and why you feel strongly about promoting FileMaker in the first place.
Every FileMaker developer has a stake in raising awareness, whether it’s in the IT world, the education sector or the end-user space. I’m interested in all three, but in 2006, I had a lot of material in print that served as “Intro to FileMaker” pieces. Advisor had just launched its Basics for FileMaker Pro magazine and I did a lot of writing and technical editing for that. The Missing Manual for FMP8 came out in 2005, and was getting great reviews and very solid sales. All those printed words drove at making FileMaker feel comfortable for beginning- to intermediate-users.
At the time, I was feeling that a lot of us developers talk to ourselves a lot, even when we’re in the same room as clients and other not-so-technical people. We speak jargon about highly specialized topics and that can create an insider/outsider dynamic. It’s true that the FileMaker subset isn’t as guilty of this as IT in general, but I just wanted to bring the message to the people that FileMaker is as friendly as it is strong, so there’s no reason to be scared of wading into database waters, even if your job says you’re in human resources, or education, or medicine.
These days, I’m a bit more worried about where the next generation of FileMaker developers is coming from. Every year, I look around at DevCon and don’t see very many young faces. Those young ones are open about saying that their peers think FileMaker isn’t the best career choice they could make. So this year, I’ve been working with the computer department at a local technical school in raising awareness of FileMaker amongst their students. It’s early days yet, and most of those kids have stars in their eyes about working for a game development company, so they think databases are boring. The word “FileMaker” gets eye-rolling or shrugs and a blank stare. But the department head has asked me to serve on an advisory board aimed at making sure their kids have a well-rounded skill set when they graduate, so the staff must think we’re doing something right.
You were a presenter at the 2005 FileMaker DevCon. What was it like presenting at DevCon? Do you have any plans on presenting again? And are you planning on attending this year?
It was a blast to present at DevCon. It was a huge amount of work getting ready, but it was great fun to stand up in front of my peers and talk about what I do all day. My husband Paul, who’s an architect, got to sit in on my session. Even he was impressed by the “rock star” treatment and the way presenters can’t walk far down the hall without being waylaid by people with questions.
Much as I enjoyed the experience, I didn’t do a proposal to speak this year. I have a few ideas bouncing around, but I couldn’t commit to the sheer amount of time it takes to be suitably prepared. But with DBHQ staff growing now, maybe I’ll have time next year.
I’ll definitely attend DevCon this year, especially as it’s here in Phoenix. My first DevCon was back in San Diego, and I’ve never missed one since. I always learn at least one thing worth the price of admission, and who can pass up the chance to talk face to face with the best FileMaker developers in the world? Plus, it’s the best place to cozy up to FMI staff and see what’s on their minds and on their plates. What other software company is as open as FileMaker?
What do you think of Bento. Have you had a chance to use it? And if so, what is your take on it?
I hope it’s a gateway database that pulls a lot of new users into the fold. It’s beautifully crafted, and so easy that even my mother could use it. As developers, we tend to forget how scary FileMaker can be to the non-technical client. Just today, I had a client call to cancel a meeting because she didn’t think her laptop would be able to launch FileMaker if she wasn’t in her office on the internet. Listen, that’s not a slam on her. She’s a smart woman, running her own business. But she’s dealing with a whole raft of tools that she doesn’t have time to master. A big part of FileMaker’s target audience works on that same raft, and we forget that to our peril.
So if FileMaker has a little brother out there being all warm and friendly, but subtly addictive because it makes people more productive, it can only help us. And I think Bento is a good indicator of where FileMaker is heading. We may not get there in version 10, but it’s pretty clear that we’ll see some of those same features in FileMaker some day soon.
What new features of FileMaker 9 do you find to be the most valuable?
I love, love, love the non-modal ScriptMaker. It took some getting used to, but it’s a huge productivity boost. When I have to work in v8, I almost resent the old dialog that has to be closed before I can go back and work in my database. The Data Viewer’s pre-populated list, the pop-up window, and editable variables make my life so much easier.
If you could add a couple of features to the next version of FileMaker, what would they be, and why?
I’d like better graph management and commenting tools. And to be able to type right into the script step list of ScriptMaker. It’s my dream to see layout tools that weren’t au courant back in the days of flappers and goldfish-eating contests. Sure, checkbox appearance doesn’t change the way things work, but when new users see checkboxes in their database that don’t match the glitz of their OS, they lose a little confidence in the product. I think Bento’s pushing its big brother into the future on this one.
What would you like to see FileMaker Inc, as a company, do in the future?
You know, they take a lot of heat sometimes, and while the complaints may have a kernel of truth, on the whole, I think FMI does a great job. They’re smart, responsive and fun to talk shop (or not) with over a float on the lazy river. If sometimes they feel like they’re doing a thankless job, well, don’t we all? And aren’t we all more or less justified in thinking so? When you look at how many software programs are introduced to great fanfare, then sunk out of sight, it’s pretty amazing that FileMaker is still growing and making real improvements every year.
What do you like best about your job?
One of my favorite things about the work I do is learning about so many ways of doing business. Even across all the sectors I work in, there are similar goals. Clients always have budgets, so they always need to see a good return on investment. Whatever the specific goals, clients always need to have FileMaker shaped to their business rules. So even between manufacturing and education, there’s a huge amount of overlap. From my vantage point, I get to see how the fine furniture and artwork storage business works on Monday, and how a medical professional approaches patient care on Tuesday. If it sometimes feels slightly frenetic, it’s impossible to get bored, because no two projects, even within the same industry, are the same.
What do you like least about your job?
Every new client is a job interview. I am not a natural-born marketer or self-promoter. But the odd thing is, that even though it uses up a huge amount of energy to adopt that marketing personality, it puts me in touch with some wonderful people, who are doing really interesting things. So the thing I like least is also one of the things that make me a more rounded person, and a better FileMaker developer.
What are your favorite things to do that don't involve work?
I’m a skill junkie. I’ve always got about 15 art or craft projects going. Before I master one medium, I’m off to the next. I knit and quilt and take photographs and play around with the decorative arts whenever I have a spare minute.
I’m training for a bike race. Last month, my husband and I went to California to follow the Tour of California. I’ve always been sports-appreciation deficient, so I was surprised at what a fan girl I turned into while watching Fabian Cancellaria, Tom Boonen, George Hincapie and Dave Zabriskie whisk by at shockingly close range and enormously quick speeds.
If you want to start an impassioned conversation, ask me about David Millar and Slipstream-Chipotle bike racing team. Those guys are leading the pelaton in cleaning up the drug-ridden world of cycling. They’re making a big noise on the road, but heck, I don’t even care if they win, so long as there’s a team I can root for without risking a broken heart when the test results come out. Viva Slipstream! Allez allez!
What are your goals for 2008?
Work less and enjoy those other things more. A year of 60-hour work weeks is making me a dull girl indeed. Still, I want DBHQ to grow, both in quantity and quality. Growth will feed the business, but it also feeds my love of teaching. After all, one of the most rewarding things a company president gets to do is mentor the stars of the next generation.
Thanks, Susan!
How did you get started in IT? And how did you get started with FileMaker?
I’m still shocked to think that anybody could say that I’m in IT. My degree is in journalism, with an English minor. I was going to save the world by bringing information to the people. Computer classes were required for acceptance into j-school, but one session required punch-card programming, so I wangled an exception because I couldn’t stand the tedium. Couldn’t see the application to my work, either. So much for prescience.
Fifteen years ago, I was a reporter at a very small, weekly newspaper. I covered the city and cop beats, plus culture, if you can imagine that mix. I saw FileMaker the first time when we built a database to track our classified ads. It handled everything from order taking to paste up. When I left the newspaper, I had a whole slew of part-time jobs. I did graphic design, and had several jobs teaching software to end-users. Inevitably, when I taught FileMaker, somebody was there to learn enough to build or maintain a database that ran some part of their job. Often, a student would throw up her hands and ask me to do the work.
And that’s how I got my first big client, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It was a big job, but was supposed to take three months from start to finish. I was a raw consultant in those days, and the project manager wasn’t great at defining requirements. Plus, the rules kept changing and scope creep was gigantic. It took us a year to launch and it was in development for nearly 10 years. Despite many mistakes (er, “learning opportunities”), and even though it’s never been converted to .fp7, that database is still in use over at the Law Enforcement division of USFWS. It was supposed to be retired about five years ago, in favor of a nationwide SQL thing, but last I heard, that project was still not doing everything our little FM database could do. Staff couldn’t, or wouldn’t, tell me how over-budget it was.
So that first big project let me go out on my own. I loved design, but it was a very competitive, dog-eat-dog world. The other FileMaker developers I met weren’t competitive, and, far from flinging their arms protectively around their work, they opened their offices and ideas to me. Clients didn’t balk so much at reasonable bill rates, so I gradually let the design clients slip away and focused completely on FileMaker.
Tell us about your company, dbhq.
DBHQ is expanding. For a long time, it was just me, and a loose syndicate, made up of the other Phoenix-area FileMaker developers. We’d all work together for specific projects whenever something was too big for the resources at hand. But I’m now working with a junior developer, and am getting an intern. It’s an interesting period of transition, from being a one-person shop to learning how to hand off work to other folks. I resisted it for a long time, knowing that it changes my whole work method, plus, my clients prefer getting the full attention of a firm’s principle on their projects. The key thing is to maintain quality of product and customer service while staff expands. It’s not easy, but it’s exciting and eventually, everybody will benefit from the flexibility.
You've done work for clients in a wide variety of sectors -- from government, to education, retail, medical, and more. Are there are projects that you've worked on that you particularly enjoyed working on? Are there any that you'd prefer to forget?!?
I had some pretty grim experiences over at FWS. When I came onboard, 100+ field offices were using whatever method they wanted to track finances. Some of them were barely using computers at the time. The culture over there was that the management would set requirements and the users would just have to suck it up in the name of consistency, because the database would be mandated across the board. So when we held the first demo/training classes, the staff came armed with torches and pitchforks. What surprised me most was that a few people were very personal in their attacks. And the project manager didn’t do much to defend me, either. Fortunately, we also got a handful of converts who really loved the database and they became my champions. So after a shaky start, it did turn out very well.
Even though there weren’t a lot of warm fuzzies for me early on, it really serves as a cautionary tale, and I’ll never forget those lessons. I learned firsthand some of the many ways a project can get derailed, so now, I can usually head those problems off at the pass.
These days I have some really tech savvy clients, who poke at the boundaries and really make me and FileMaker stretch. In Paradise Valley school district, we’ve written an IWP database for letting kids take multiple-choice tests where the individual questions were tied to national standards. The teacher gets real-time feedback about whether the students are grasping the concept or not. I’m also working with a doctor who specializes in brain function. He sees clients with brain injury, ADD/AHDD, autism, alcoholism, and many other brain issues. We’re using FileMaker to keep client histories, and map about 20 different tests so that he can deliver progress charts and make therapy assignments to his clients. Some of these tests map almost 100 locations in the brain every few seconds for up to a half an hour, so we’re processing tens of thousands of records per test. We’re in the process of converting that system from FileMaker only to a FileMaker/SQL hybrid.
Tell us about some of the other projects that you are either currently working on, or that you've recently completed.
Maybe the coolest thing I get to do is to help O’Reilly Media with their FileMaker stuff. Recently, I’ve been working with VP Sara Winge on expanding their Friends of O’Reilly database (we call it the Foo Spotter). We’re using IWP to help manage O’Reilly’s famous Foo Camps.
You co-authored FileMaker Pro 9: The Missing Manual with Geoff Coffey. In my interview with Geoff, he said, "It was a real joy to have another FileMaker guru to bounce ideas off of, and the journey was relatively stress free." What are your thoughts on writing the book? And do you have any other books in the works?
Geoff’s right, it was a great experience this time around. Thanks, buddy. Most of the work had been done for TMM v8, so we got to plan way ahead, and work on some parts of the book that needed improvement. We added quite a bit of material, and very little got cut, so even though it’s a bigger book, it’s more refined now. We’re both very proud of it.
That said, no writing job is completely stress free. No matter how much I write, it never gets easy, because I have higher expectations every time. I often think about writing more books, but it’s really a labor of love and it takes two to three times longer than you think it will, even when you’re pretty good at it. But the thing I like most about writing is how it helps me organize my thoughts. As I muse on the best way to express an idea, the mess that’s swirling around up there in the old brain pan gets clarified and distilled. There’s a huge personal benefit to writing well that programmers can benefit from, even if no eyeballs but your own ever scan it.
Back when FileMaker 7 was released, you worked on the "Stairway to Seven" course with Geoff and Jerry Robin (of FMPtraining.com). How was that different from writing the Missing Manual?
The target audience was very different for one thing. When Geoff and I wrote for Jerry, we’d all been doing FileMaker training for years, so we had a really good idea what people wanted to know about moving from the old paradigm to the new. We left lots of foundational material out of Stairway to Seven, because we were preaching to a really skilled choir.
Writing that curriculum was fundamental for me, though, because, like a lot of developers at the time, I was mourning the loss of all that hard work I’d done to learn stupid FileMaker tricks and hacky workarounds for the pre-7 architecture. I was seriously considering a return to graphic design at that point, because I wasn’t sure I wanted to relearn my career just to carry on in the same field. But like I said, writing well makes you clarify your thoughts, and I became convinced that first, the chasm wasn’t nearly as wide as I’d feared, and second, the view’s a whole lot better on this side of the divide. Five years on, I can’t believe I was ever worried.
But the mission statement for The Missing Manual series is very different. We were writing for more casual users, who may not even have a solid grasp of what a database is, but who still need to have a developer’s insight into FileMaker. So, even some seasoned developers have said they learned things from TMMs. There’s a whole lot of territory between explaining how to type data in a field and how to troubleshoot a sophisticated script. Geoff and I lobbied hard to keep some of the tougher concepts in the book, on the promise that we could make them “feel” easy, or at least attemptable, for beginners.
In 2006, you won the "Mad Dog" public relations award from FileMaker for helping raise awareness of FileMaker. Tell us a what you have been doing to raise that awareness, and why you feel strongly about promoting FileMaker in the first place.
Every FileMaker developer has a stake in raising awareness, whether it’s in the IT world, the education sector or the end-user space. I’m interested in all three, but in 2006, I had a lot of material in print that served as “Intro to FileMaker” pieces. Advisor had just launched its Basics for FileMaker Pro magazine and I did a lot of writing and technical editing for that. The Missing Manual for FMP8 came out in 2005, and was getting great reviews and very solid sales. All those printed words drove at making FileMaker feel comfortable for beginning- to intermediate-users.
At the time, I was feeling that a lot of us developers talk to ourselves a lot, even when we’re in the same room as clients and other not-so-technical people. We speak jargon about highly specialized topics and that can create an insider/outsider dynamic. It’s true that the FileMaker subset isn’t as guilty of this as IT in general, but I just wanted to bring the message to the people that FileMaker is as friendly as it is strong, so there’s no reason to be scared of wading into database waters, even if your job says you’re in human resources, or education, or medicine.
These days, I’m a bit more worried about where the next generation of FileMaker developers is coming from. Every year, I look around at DevCon and don’t see very many young faces. Those young ones are open about saying that their peers think FileMaker isn’t the best career choice they could make. So this year, I’ve been working with the computer department at a local technical school in raising awareness of FileMaker amongst their students. It’s early days yet, and most of those kids have stars in their eyes about working for a game development company, so they think databases are boring. The word “FileMaker” gets eye-rolling or shrugs and a blank stare. But the department head has asked me to serve on an advisory board aimed at making sure their kids have a well-rounded skill set when they graduate, so the staff must think we’re doing something right.
You were a presenter at the 2005 FileMaker DevCon. What was it like presenting at DevCon? Do you have any plans on presenting again? And are you planning on attending this year?
It was a blast to present at DevCon. It was a huge amount of work getting ready, but it was great fun to stand up in front of my peers and talk about what I do all day. My husband Paul, who’s an architect, got to sit in on my session. Even he was impressed by the “rock star” treatment and the way presenters can’t walk far down the hall without being waylaid by people with questions.
Much as I enjoyed the experience, I didn’t do a proposal to speak this year. I have a few ideas bouncing around, but I couldn’t commit to the sheer amount of time it takes to be suitably prepared. But with DBHQ staff growing now, maybe I’ll have time next year.
I’ll definitely attend DevCon this year, especially as it’s here in Phoenix. My first DevCon was back in San Diego, and I’ve never missed one since. I always learn at least one thing worth the price of admission, and who can pass up the chance to talk face to face with the best FileMaker developers in the world? Plus, it’s the best place to cozy up to FMI staff and see what’s on their minds and on their plates. What other software company is as open as FileMaker?
What do you think of Bento. Have you had a chance to use it? And if so, what is your take on it?
I hope it’s a gateway database that pulls a lot of new users into the fold. It’s beautifully crafted, and so easy that even my mother could use it. As developers, we tend to forget how scary FileMaker can be to the non-technical client. Just today, I had a client call to cancel a meeting because she didn’t think her laptop would be able to launch FileMaker if she wasn’t in her office on the internet. Listen, that’s not a slam on her. She’s a smart woman, running her own business. But she’s dealing with a whole raft of tools that she doesn’t have time to master. A big part of FileMaker’s target audience works on that same raft, and we forget that to our peril.
So if FileMaker has a little brother out there being all warm and friendly, but subtly addictive because it makes people more productive, it can only help us. And I think Bento is a good indicator of where FileMaker is heading. We may not get there in version 10, but it’s pretty clear that we’ll see some of those same features in FileMaker some day soon.
What new features of FileMaker 9 do you find to be the most valuable?
I love, love, love the non-modal ScriptMaker. It took some getting used to, but it’s a huge productivity boost. When I have to work in v8, I almost resent the old dialog that has to be closed before I can go back and work in my database. The Data Viewer’s pre-populated list, the pop-up window, and editable variables make my life so much easier.
If you could add a couple of features to the next version of FileMaker, what would they be, and why?
I’d like better graph management and commenting tools. And to be able to type right into the script step list of ScriptMaker. It’s my dream to see layout tools that weren’t au courant back in the days of flappers and goldfish-eating contests. Sure, checkbox appearance doesn’t change the way things work, but when new users see checkboxes in their database that don’t match the glitz of their OS, they lose a little confidence in the product. I think Bento’s pushing its big brother into the future on this one.
What would you like to see FileMaker Inc, as a company, do in the future?
You know, they take a lot of heat sometimes, and while the complaints may have a kernel of truth, on the whole, I think FMI does a great job. They’re smart, responsive and fun to talk shop (or not) with over a float on the lazy river. If sometimes they feel like they’re doing a thankless job, well, don’t we all? And aren’t we all more or less justified in thinking so? When you look at how many software programs are introduced to great fanfare, then sunk out of sight, it’s pretty amazing that FileMaker is still growing and making real improvements every year.
What do you like best about your job?
One of my favorite things about the work I do is learning about so many ways of doing business. Even across all the sectors I work in, there are similar goals. Clients always have budgets, so they always need to see a good return on investment. Whatever the specific goals, clients always need to have FileMaker shaped to their business rules. So even between manufacturing and education, there’s a huge amount of overlap. From my vantage point, I get to see how the fine furniture and artwork storage business works on Monday, and how a medical professional approaches patient care on Tuesday. If it sometimes feels slightly frenetic, it’s impossible to get bored, because no two projects, even within the same industry, are the same.
What do you like least about your job?
Every new client is a job interview. I am not a natural-born marketer or self-promoter. But the odd thing is, that even though it uses up a huge amount of energy to adopt that marketing personality, it puts me in touch with some wonderful people, who are doing really interesting things. So the thing I like least is also one of the things that make me a more rounded person, and a better FileMaker developer.
What are your favorite things to do that don't involve work?
I’m a skill junkie. I’ve always got about 15 art or craft projects going. Before I master one medium, I’m off to the next. I knit and quilt and take photographs and play around with the decorative arts whenever I have a spare minute.
I’m training for a bike race. Last month, my husband and I went to California to follow the Tour of California. I’ve always been sports-appreciation deficient, so I was surprised at what a fan girl I turned into while watching Fabian Cancellaria, Tom Boonen, George Hincapie and Dave Zabriskie whisk by at shockingly close range and enormously quick speeds.
If you want to start an impassioned conversation, ask me about David Millar and Slipstream-Chipotle bike racing team. Those guys are leading the pelaton in cleaning up the drug-ridden world of cycling. They’re making a big noise on the road, but heck, I don’t even care if they win, so long as there’s a team I can root for without risking a broken heart when the test results come out. Viva Slipstream! Allez allez!
What are your goals for 2008?
Work less and enjoy those other things more. A year of 60-hour work weeks is making me a dull girl indeed. Still, I want DBHQ to grow, both in quantity and quality. Growth will feed the business, but it also feeds my love of teaching. After all, one of the most rewarding things a company president gets to do is mentor the stars of the next generation.
Thanks, Susan!
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