Bill Myers

When I was a kid growing up in Hot Springs Arkansas, the richest man in town was Hill Wheatley.

Mr Wheatley owned almost every building in the downtown area - and had his name on most of them.

But Mr Wheatley didn't flaunt his wealth. He drove an old beat up Volkswagon, wore old suits, a battered hat, and scuffed shoes. If you saw him in a crowd, you might be tempted to drop a few coins in his hat.

He had a reputation of being fair, but very tight with the dollar. He would donate funds to worthwhile charities, but wouldn't shave a dime off a business deal unless it was in his best interest. He never cheated anyone, but no one ever cheated him either.

One of the wisest things I ever heard was uttered by Mr Wheatley. When asked his secret to success he said, "I only buy real estate when the seller is desperate to sell it and prices it accordingly. And I only sell real estate when a buyer approaches me and is desperate to buy and willing to pay top dollar."

"In both cases, the other person in the transaction is always happy that I am there to help them out."

As product developers we can learn a lot from this philosophy. Offer the product people want, when they want it, and they'll be happy when they find you.