It’s not news that tech companies move at blazing speeds. In order to stay competitive, we are innovative, rapid in our deployments, and always thinking ahead. This breakneck pace of continuous improvement, feature releases, and updates are part of what make us who we are. But with this pace comes risks.
“Just because you know your product inside and out, and its nuances and logic make perfect sense to you,” says Elucidat CEO Steve Penfold, “It’s unwise to assume this will be the case for your customers.”
Developers are intimately aware of how their products work. They know interfaces, processes, and back-ends better than anyone. They can click through any series of steps swiftly and effortlessly. Everything makes perfect sense to them. How could it not? They built it!
Now All of Us are Software Troubleshooting Researchers
Here’s a familiar situation. You’re cruising along with a piece of software you’re pretty familiar with, then, seemingly out of nowhere, you’re stuck. Dead End. Do not pass Go; Do not collect $200.
So now what?
You take to your favorite search engine, and in as few (or maybe as many) words as possible, you outline your issue, often including things like the name of the software and version.
Surely someone has had this issue before, right? RIGHT?! Not always. Worse, your new role as software troubleshooting researcher has pulled you away from your job. Your company invested in this tool to help you do your job and now the software is an impediment. You’ve spent an entire afternoon not doing your job.
Next stop, tech support: tickets, shared files, and other hurdles to completion. More time lost.
A Better Way to Bridge the Value Gap - ASAP
It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, when users extract value from software, it becomes integral to responsibilities and performance. It adds time. It extends capabilities. (Software developers refer to this state as Nerd-vana.)
How can you get users and customers to this enviable state - quickly - when the skills needed to achieve that value can’t be put in a box or included in a download?
The software company must offer the tools and resources to add value, and the end-user must be willing to take them up on that offer. Plus, it should be easy to find in a snap.
Enter Sonatype Learn
Sonatype’s Customer Education team announces the launch of Sonatype Learn; a new education portal that provides an engaging and learning-rich environment. Access this material anytime, anywhere. The site is customized to meet the learning and development needs of Sonatype’s users. This means less time spent hunting down information or stalling progress -- and more internal expertise.
All of our training and reference materials will be stored in a centralized area. This ensures our customers have the most up-to-date information at all times. The courses and content will continue to grow as the Customer Education team works with industry-leading subject matter experts. Our goal is to bridge the gap between software ownership, and getting the most out of Sonatype’s product offerings.
The new Learn Site, coupled with the existing Documentation and Guides sites, show Sonatype’s commitment to - and investment in - our customers’ success. If you haven’t already, begin your path to power user by registering today!
![Picture of Dan Fletcher](https://www.sonatype.com/hubfs/DanFletcher.jpeg)
Written by Dan Fletcher
Senior eLearning Developer at Sonatype | Camp Hill, Pennsylvania