Would you cross Niagara Falls? Probably not. Would you cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope? Definitely not.

Stunt-master Nik Wallenda, this past Friday, crossed the 1,800 feet gap across Niagara Falls on a two-inch wire. As covered by Nick Carbone of Time Magazine, Wallenda knows what it takes to complete a challenge:

“It’s all about the concentration, the focus, and it all goes back to the training,” he said after completing the journey.

Wallenda knows the importance of undergoing in-the-wild tests before pulling a stunt like this. And even with his training and preparedness, he still tethered off to a cable for extra security:

“..If Wallenda had lost his balance Friday, he wouldn’t have dropped 200 feet into the perilous stream to his almost certain death – he was connected to a short tether that would have caught him. But it was an unlikely occurrence anyway, because this was no haphazard journey; he’s had years of practice and inspiration.”

Nik Wallenda had a lot to go through before his journey, including testing to make sure the tight rope functioned correctly, that the safety cable would hold, and that Wallenda himself was able to complete the walk across.

The same goes for applications. Before you launch, be confident that your apps will survive and thrive in the real world. Put your apps through as many tests as possible. You don’t want to cross Niagara Falls if you are not ready.

Was Wallenda’s Niagara Falls feat actually a test for something bigger?  Apparently Niagara Falls wasn’t enough for the daredevil. Time Magazine says Wallenda has already attained the necessary permits to cross the Grand Canyon within the next five years.

Better him than me.