Data & Analytics: Four ways bleeding edge technology just makes you bleed

Two young men stood alone at a recent technology conference, talking. A friend of mine heard one say, "We need to get a Spark project going." The other replied, "What would we do with it?" The answer: "We'll figure it out. First we need a Spark project."

As much as some individuals may seek the newest, sexiest technology, chances are their organizations will do fine without it. The bleeding edge too often proves to be a bloody affair that deepens aversion to novelties and increases appreciation for mature technology.

I've seen it firsthand in 25 years of software development and now as I sell my own product, DataSelf Analytics, I urge medium-sized businesses to err toward mature technology.

Simply put, the bleeding edge makes people bleed - and the inclination to adopt it is often for the wrong reasons. I see four big reasons to hesitate before grabbing the bleeding edge.

1. Adoption is for appearances or careers.

I appreciate early adopters. Without them, advances would come slower. They don't mind the extra time and money spent ironing out the shiny new toys. And if the product doesn't stick, no worries. It was fun to work on and talk about, and it looks good on a resume.

Many customers, though, get caught up in a me-too mindset. They ask what about artificial intelligence? What about Hadoop? If they can't stand the potential disruption and expense, they shouldn't go there just yet.

Even people who should know better fall for it. SAS Vice President of Business Consulting Evan Levy told me about an IT manager at a San Francisco Bay Area school district. The database ...