Okay, I admit it.
Every single time I go to put a USB stick in my computer, I try to put it in the wrong way.
Please tell me I’m not alone?!
I thought about this the other day while I was reading a really interesting article on USB on DesignNews.com, and I just thought I had to ask the question – surely others make the same mistake?
The article itself was actually really useful – it focused heavily on Intel’s Ajay Bhatt’s struggle to get the USB protocol and connection system into production.
It took him over two years to convince colleagues, but he stuck with it, and – as they say – the rest is history.
That was a useful reminder to me – when you’re developing something new and introducing it to a market, you have to work hard to sell it, explain it and promote it.
Often we can get so wrapped up in our ‘thing’ that we forget that other people don’t share our exact thought processes – it’s vital to remember that other people are always required to move things forward.
A really useful learn, and a reminder that I won’t forget in a hurry.
Oh, and the article explained why I always put the USB in the wrong way round – it would have required double the number of wires and a lot more circuitry to make the connector flippable , which in turn would have resulted in a higher price for the consumer.
Which – in itself – is another lesson: there’s no point designing the best thing in the world if it’s going to be too expensive for your market to buy.
In case you’re wondering though, there is an alternative to the non-flippable USB, and it’s A LOT more rugged too – take a look here or drop me an email
If you’d like to read the original Design News article it is here
