CAD Market -- Life’s Not Fair

If you are not a leader in the CAD market, then you probably perceive the world as not fair.In a perfect world, a product is picked on its merits. And every so often, a product would be reevaluated, compared to its competition. And so, in a perfect world, companies would be guaranteed the best tools. Incumbency would be devalued.

Certainly, we do this with our politicians. With each election, the incumbents are evaluated against the challengers, and if found wanting, they are shown the door.

Hmm… a similar methodoly would also get rid of fat cops. But I digress.

For products like SpaceClaim, who just know they are better than the market leaders, a lack of fair evaluation has them tearing their hair out.  What the hell do you do when most of the seats are taken? When new users nowadays just follow the leader, like sheep. They could hope for a leader to emerge from somewhere.. someone who has kwowledge, wisdom and who is beyond rapproach, who would show the way, point them to the rightful choice....

Wait, I was dreaming again. Back to reality. Without a leader, a CAD Olympics might help determine what CAD program to choose... Oh, don’t get me started.

I imagine nonleaders in the CAD industry gathering to cry in their beers as they size up the unfair successes:

“Autodesk just rode the PC wave with AutoCAD” 

“SolidWorks only had to compete against Pro/E”

But each lament ignores the marketing skills current leaders have used to arrive at their vaunted spots. Autodesk rose to be a billion dollar company but it was not with brilliant technology. To us in the press, all we saw were marketing, marketing and more marketing. For all we knew, a handful of programmers toiled in the bowels of the company. Their mere existence was a rumor. SolidWorks may have paled next to Pro/E technically but that was a low hurdle for the marketing genius of John McEleney (VP of marketing who would later become its CEO). 

“But things were different then,” I can hear the contenders claim. “All SolidWorks had to do was swing a couple of magazines, go to a couple of trade shows…”

Yes, back then there were only a few influential CAD magazines. At one time, users looking for someone to believe could have believed them. And people were shopping at tradeshows. But both venues have been marginalized by the Web. Instead of a fearless leader, we have loud voices, some knowledgeable, some credible… others, not so much. And new voices are heard every day.

The old guard had better get off their barstools and figure this out. Because the next AutoCAD or SolidWorks will come from someone understands and can harness the potential of social media.

 

Comments

[Matt Lombard]

I think responses like Mr. Sweeney's are why if CAD Olympics are going to have any real value, they can't involve the vendors. They have to be run by competent users, and judged by people not influenced by things like employment or advertising money. That leaves just about no one. How do you plan to keep these impartial, and free of the ridiculous partisan politics that you know would ensue?

Even if you were to use vendors for the demos, how would you get them all to play? I'm sure of at least one that would not cooperate.

[Scott Sweeney]

Roopinder:

We couldn't agree more. I think it was Scar from the Lion King who echoed those words, "Life's not fair."

Another popular cliche is that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." And as the pioneers of today's Direct CAD revolution, with KeyCreator Direct CAD, we at Kubotek USA, www.kubotekusa.com, applaud venture funded Spaceclaim Corp's success in helping to spread the Gospel of 3D direct modeling.

Spaceclaim Direct CAD and Kubotek's KeyCreator Direct CAD are both better than the history-based giants of today.

CAD tools are almost like religion, but eventually the cost of not using the most productive tool will force companies to adopt 3D Direct CAD technology.

And the revolution of the web and social media has indeed leveled the playing field. Companies can learn and try new technologies with the simple click of a mouse.

We have never been more energized or optimistic about the future of CAD, including our own products and what that means for the future of design, engineering and manufacturing. These are the winners of the Direct CAD revolution. Direct CAD will unharness their creativity and effectiveness, enabling companies to create better products, faster and with fewer cost.

You and Scar are correct: Life's not fair.. and that's a good thing for all.

[Roopinder Tara]

Matt, the CAD Olympics is a dream of mine and propose it to CAD vendors in the hope of getting sponsors. I'll note you are interested, as we certainly would need judges.

[Matt Lombard]

CAD software takes months to evaluate properly, and you might have to buy it to do that. By that time you have so much invested in it, that it's hard to switch.

You've mentioned CAD Olympics a couple of times. This is really necessary for users to get impartial opinions and for vendors to own up to reality.

How do we get started?

[Designfunda]

Agree! Designers know only few CAD sofware's and they tend to go with them! in that course other very good software's wont get a chance of even a review. Its tough out there cracking the market is difficult. But one should keep trying!
designfunda (www.productdesignfunda.com)