Vaporware

The stories grow about the U.S. strikes in Iran, but justification was never in sight

A few years ago, I was the Marketing VP for a financial technology start-up.

When selling software, you’re always selling future capabilities. You’re studying market trends, staying ahead of customer expectations, and crafting a unique value pitch that always includes features not yet fully developed.

Often, in client meetings, you’d be asked if your software could do this or that. The answer was always yes, in one form or another.

Speaking at the White House on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the military operation against Iran was expected to last four or five weeks, but he also indicated it could go longer. 'Whatever the time is, it's OK,' said Trump. 'Whatever it takes.' [Alex Brandon/The Associated Press]

I struggled in this role. I empathized with operations folks, and I also knew the pressure that salespeople were under to make a sale happen and then hope that the developers could make the product they sold a reality. At times, I couldn’t bridge the ethical gaps in the pro…