Reply To: Review and Assessment of Current Podium Abilities

You see here’s where I stand with this:

On Frits defense:
-He is only one “man”. Not a whole team, so updates can’t be frequent and take a lot of time to make. Even customizing current features can be a big task.

-Users wanting features from every which way. If users agreed on a common feature, he could focus on that, then the next “greatest requested feature” he could then do, and so on.

-Besides Podium development his personal life. Although we do not know much about it, he is clearly a hard working developer and businessman. I have some old friends who are those as well and that alone is a very busy and daunting task for one person.

-20 years of hardwork goes a long way, and maybe he didn’t really think Podium would be this big once he started o focus more on it. Now with such a major rush of people coming here and asking for this and that, it can be chaotic.

But, in the “People’s Defense”:

-Features that are common in DAW’s is a given of what overall direction you need to take your product. Even if you don’t want to directly copy the direction of a popular DAW, still let users determine the most important feature and work on developing that.

-About not having a team of devs is understandable but will not be “tolerable” with most of your customers or potential customers. This is a “big” drawback and as I’ve said before, any musician serious about his/her work will not wait around for one man to make a important update they need, they will look elsewhere and not only that, give your product very bad overall overview. So then it’s less exposure or even less people wanting to try your product[that being Podium] because of “word-of-mouth”. This could ultimately crush the business of Podium, and I’m sure Frits does not want that. But, he needs to make compromises soon, “or else”….

-Users are screaming for updates since Podium became a potential serious DAW product within the DAW market. Neglecting “important” updates for users not only is bad for them, it’s bad for Frits, and it’s bad for business. Not even as much as giving them a update or progress of the update/feature is a “no no” for business. I thought a “percentage system” on updates and features would be most exciting and very rewarding to those wondering about the “pipeline and/or progress” of a requested feature or update. Of course Frits ignored it, but I expected that. And sadly I used to think being in contact with the creator was a good thing…now…I don’t think it’s as “rewarding” as I thought… 🙁

-This may be a serious offense to Frits, hell, I may get scolded for this, but I’m going to say it. Pointing out your “20+ years of hardwork” I’m starting to believe it’s an excuse, or a way to push back any progress or effort you want to put towards certain updates, or major opportunities for Podium. I’m sure like the devs for Kristal Audio Engine who were acquired[bought] by PreSonus, you’ve had offers to make joint deals with other software companies. And not even to that extreme, you have had offers from other people[devs] to help you develop Podium to make workflow go easier for you, but you declined or asked them[which I’ve seen you ask this before Frits], “How much do you think 20+ years of work is worth?” Personally I think you should stop mentioning that, and try to at least see both sides of the “business coin”. As long as you keep ownership, name, and everything you can with the program and just have people help you[and of course you credit them, and so on] I’m sure things would look up for you Frits, but now, who knows…

In the end of all this, the direction of Zynewave Podium is up to Frits, NOT US. We have to learn that. What he put up front is just words, but as I’ve learned in my life, actions speak louder than words do. And for the time I’ve been here, his actions have gotten less and less and “less”. And as I always point out, “NO” serious musician will wait around for him, only leave and give Podium bad reviews, feedback, and overall bad “name”. Which in turn hurts Frits and his program, and even his business. I’m not saying all musicians will leave absolutely horrible feedback but, some will. But it’s up to him, not us, and for those serious musicians who want to stick with Podium, as much as you deny it, deep down, you know it’s true. I know it is. To me Podium is “baby steps” to the big DAW’s out there. And at the state it’s at now, nothing more. Telenator put it perfectly when he basically said there are more “workarounds”[or “band-aids”] for this DAW than anything else. This is bad, because eventually people will see that, and not like it one bit.

Anyway for now this concludes my rant…