Are Magicians and Software Developers On the Same Path? Let’s Take a Look

“I need a business app that can help people to purchase garments and accessories online, track their orders, have a replacement option, secured payment gateways and etc.” 

So, here you are talking about an app that is more like Flipkart or Myntra for a budget price? These requests are very real and often come to me from business owners who believe that programmers or developers have an innate ability to utter a few incantations like a wizard and cast a spell to create that perfect app. But is it really so?

Coding is just like magic and programmers are like magicians who look for new tricks to improve their craft and be able to develop new things for their audience. As a child, I was very fascinated with how the magicians performed with such great skills and made things appear and disappear in a matter of seconds. They made the impossible possible and this is what inspired me a lot.

Today, I feel that a close look at what magicians do on the stage has much resemblance to what a software developer does to create an application.  Here are few things that both the magicians and developers do to keep their audiences engaged. Let’s have a look.

Turning the Craziest Ideas into Reality:

Writing a program or developing an app is the craft of describing something you have in your mind to look and act in reality. Similarly, a magician brings before us the tricks and seemingly impossible ideas into reality that we find amusing. They pursue even the craziest things and try to make them appear as real. Similarly, software development is not difficult because of the tough codes or lack of resources, but because of the attempt to capture something and imaging how it should behave. Here lies the MAGIC.

Innovation is the New Trend:

A small trick learnt at a birthday party can often become a huge hit among audience if the magician or the performer adds some innovative touch to it. There are various TV shows where we get to see some amazing magic performances. Though there is nothing new in it, but we still watch it with our mouth open because of that innovative and personal touch.

Similarly, software professionals can succeed in this competitive market by bringing in some innovations in their codes that reflect in their app or the services that they offer. Their approach should always be problem solving and directed towards the audience. A simple personal touch in the application will surely make it a hit in the market.

Identifying the Market Competition:

Whether you are selling your service, product or magic, it is very important to know the requirements of the audience and what they actually want. Some sort of market research often helps in this and both the magician and the software developer have to address the needs of the audience to be successful. Magicians, often visit other shows to check the latest trends and competition, similarly developers or coders too have to keep themselves updated about the latest tools and technologies to target their audience. Market research and competition are something that both needs to do to remain ahead of the competitors.

Working on the Presentation:

A great presentation of your application or product or show is the key to success. Magicians create that amazing environment by using lighting, sound effects, costumes and expressions that help them to make their performance interesting on the stage.

Similarly, software developers also strive to present their ideas before the audience in the best possible manner by using personalized content, explainer videos, animations and etc. to keep the audience engaged. In both the cases, presentation plays a great role when you need to capture the market. Both magicians and software developers should be mindful of the audiences’ reactions and also keep a note on the feedback coming from them as they serve to offers valuable and actionable insights to both.