Since my last post, I have been doing much more mundane tasks like database design. Hey, don’t get me wrong, I like database design on a project like this, but it’s just not very exciting to talk about. “Wow, you wouldn’t believe how I shaved .13 seconds off that query with this new index”…yup, I think I’m losing you already!

But I will tell you about another piece of my research I did. I was passing by a hobby shop, the kind that sells comic books and things like that. After my success with the coffee shop, I was feeling really confident in my ability to ask strangers questions, so I thought I would go in and ask some questions of the guy working there (there were no customers to ask, so that was all I had!)

I introduced myself and I started explaining how I was developing a website to…and he cut me off with a “whatever you’re selling, we’re not interested”.

I told him I wasn’t selling anything, I merely wanted his opinion on the idea I was working on. He reluctantly said “okay, proceed”. At this point I should have just said forget it and left. But I was still reeling from the espresso-interview successes the other day. So I proceeded to tell him what the web site would offer and I asked him if he would personally use such a site, and why would he use the site (or not use it).

He told me that he would not use the site under any circumstances. He said that anyone who gave control of their inventory statistics to some stranger’s website would have to be a “complete idiot”. He used a few other choice words in there too. After he stopped chastising me and my ideas, I said “Okay, thanks” and left.

I sat in my car for several minutes going over the conversation. I was asking myself questions like “Was this all a bad idea and this guy was the first one to give his honest opinion?” Lots of negative thoughts like that. I think I was just really hurt by his comments.

But I quickly realized that I would not get very far if I didn’t start wearing a thicker skin. Of course there are always going to be nay-sayers! I instead tried turning it into a logical data gathering opportunity. I asked myself “What did he say that was constructive?” I jotted his comments down in my notebook and drove away. I still feel good about the application, and that’s what’s important.