We’ve all seen it, haven’t we? The bright letters on a product package screaming “new and improved!” The promise is everywhere—on our screens, in our magazines. It’s a siren call from marketers who know we can’t resist the thrill of newness, the allure of better.

In web development, we dance to the same tune. It’s an unending waltz of redesign, reengineering, recreation, redeployment. We chase the new, we court the better.

Clients echo the sentiment, “Give us a fresh look and feel. It’s time to shake things up.”

But here’s a sneaky truth: the scales are tipped towards the “new” and we’ve lost sight of the “improved.” We’re in such a hurry to cross the finish line, to launch the final product, that we forget where the real magic happens.

The magic, my friends, is in the process. It’s the unglamorous behind-the-scenes, the elbow grease, the labor of love. It’s where we unravel what truly matters: the long-term value, the big-picture vision. And it’s in the process where we create not just something new, but something genuinely better.

We’re not just coders or designers or strategists. We’re guides. We’re their compass and map, their flashlight in the fog.

Our role is to help our clients cut through the noise and the flash. We steer them away from the empty allure of the “new,” the shiny objects that divert and distract. Instead, we lead them towards a value that’s timeless, that’s authentic.

Our job is to help our clients get clarity around their goals and priorities. We help them identify what they truly stand for, what their real message is. We dig deep, past the surface glitter, down to the bedrock of their unique value.

The “new” will always be there, always vying for our attention. But what really lasts, what truly matters, is the “improved.” The meaningful. The impactful. And as guides, we have the honor of leading our clients to that discovery.

Stephen Boudreau serves as VP of Brand & Community at Virtuous Software. For over two decades, he has helped nonprofits leverage the digital space to grow their impact. To that end, Stephen co-founded RaiseDonors, a platform that provides nonprofits with technology and experiences that remove barriers to successful online fundraising. He is an avid (but aging) soccer player, audiobook enthusiast, and the heavily-disputed UNO champion of his household.

Copyright ©2024 Stephen Boudreau.