And this is where the second parallel with Lego’s history may apply. Many of the component libraries may not even be used for functionality so they are not scrutinized for security. Once the code is assembled by developers they often will not scan or test the security of the open source libraries instead assuming that because it is commonly used it must be secure. Estimates indicate that 46 million downloads in 2012 included insecure components or code with high-risk security vulnerabilities. The good news is that reusable code has clearly arrived … the not so good news is that it has vulnerabilities in many of the most commonly used components. Developers improve their time to market capabilities and potentially the quality of their software by using code libraries already developed and reused for the specific functionality necessary. Requests from Central, the former Maven repository for open source code, will reach 13 billion this year. The first is that today software development resembles the concept of “snap-together” Lego bricks representing the assembly process.
So what does this story have to do with software development? The answer… actually my answer … is there are two parallels worth identifying. By 2009 the company became the fifth largest toy company worldwide and they are now the fourth largest. and the result was a five year strategy to return to the core of making plastic “bricks” for kids to use their imaginations with.
Out went the creative talent, the splashy product launches, the theme parks, the magazines, etc. In 2004 the company announced that earnings could not cover a substantial loss and that restructuring and a new strategy was necessary to return to profitability. In the 1990’s, Lego hired creative talent to expand on the basic “brick” to include fashionable colors and realistic objects and themed-based sets in an attempt to grow the business and expand into theme parks, software, publishing all pumping out new product at a relentless pace. A multibillion dollar company, founded in 1932, grew to be the fourth largest toy company in the world by making a toy “brick” made of plastic that inspired millions of children to use their imagination.
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