Shoe Laces…
This is a silly topic to devote a post to.
In my work (software), we do a lot of testing. Well, some of us do. So in having that testing mindset, I’ve noticed that I look at the world sometimes with an eye toward the testing thought process.
I have this pair of brown shoes that had shoes laces that wore out. So on a visit to Kroger (sorry, Kroger, I’m sure this isn’t your fault), I cruised the shoe lace offerings and picked out the only set of laces that would match my shoes. I basically had one choice, so that’s the one I went with.
Once I got the laces on my shoes, I noticed that I had to re-tie them several times during the day. At first, I thought it had to do with the newness of the laces. But that’s clearly not the case since I’ve had these laces on for several months and my experience is always the same.
So now I’m wondering how the lace manufacturer tested these laces. If they followed any process at all, they surely would have received feedback detailing similar experiences. I’m astounded by how bad these show laces are. How can you screw up something so simple?
And for the smart-asses out there, yes, I do know how to tie my shoes! But as I write that, I note that I’m not tying my shoes, I’m tying my shoe laces.
Steve Jobs — can you help me?