2008

No playbook existed, so I bet on reach over polish.

I chose a standard HTML translation layer over a native app for a narrow set of devices — reach over polish, before anyone knew which bet the market would reward.

Problem Mobile had no best practices yet, and devices varied wildly in what they could do.
Solution User interviews set the task list; we chose standard HTML over a narrow native build.
Result The bet paid off the day the iPhone and Android arrived — instant re-skinning, no rebuild.

“I picked the boring, broad option in 2008, and the market rewarded it the day the interesting devices showed up.”