I am an avid golfer – my home sits next to the 18th hole of my golf club and every day I wish I was out there playing. Like most golfers, I’m constantly looking for ways to get better and beat my buddies on the course.
In the past, I’ve purchased custom made business suits and even a custom racing bicycle, so I decided to try custom golf clubs. I was recently fitted for custom clubs at a wonderful place called Izett Golf in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. They’ve been in business since 1941, so they must be doing something right. The fitting process took almost 3 hours, but the time flew by. I could tell that Dave knew his stuff and while much of what he measured and we discussed was rooted in science and careful measurements, there was also an art to it and a dialog to determine what felt right. In the end, I knew that I would end up with clubs that fit my swing and my game and would help me perform my best.
As I went through the process, I thought about the similarity of being fitted for custom golf clubs by a craftsman and being “fitted” for custom software by expert designers. Golfers come in different shapes and sizes, so even though their goal is the same – getting the ball in the hole in the least number of strokes – they can benefit from tools (clubs) that are tuned to their swing. Likewise, most businesses exist to make money or to further a cause, but with staff members and customers who think and use software in very different ways. The parallel here is obvious – whether you need to improve your golf game or your business, you can benefit from custom tools (golf clubs or software) developed by craftsmen who follow a proven process and have the experience to ask the right questions.
