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That's funny. No, for most developers who are asked to provide an estimate, the analogy is more like this: PM: I want a bridge. When can we start using it? En
by DougWebb 9y ago
That's funny. No, for most developers who are asked to provide an estimate, the analogy is more like this:
PM: I want a bridge. When can we start using it?
Eng: Uh, ok, where is the bridge? What's is going over? What kind of traffic will it carry?
PM: I want a bridge. Why are you being difficult? Tell me right now when we can start using it! I've got to go promise my boss that you committed to getting it done by then! Oh, btw, it needs to be done next week.
- k__ 9y agoalso, they don't want a bridge, they want something like a bridge, but maybe mobile or cloud based.
- gvb 9y agoMore like they ask for a car ferry to cross the river but really want a bridge. If you are lucky, you will recognize from their "requirements" (often just a verbal description) that they are describing the characteristics of a bridge (e.g. continuous bidirectional flow), not a ferry. More typically, after you have built the car ferry, they ask why it doesn't implement continuous bidirectional flow despite never specifying that as a requirement.
- user5994461 9y agoI think that last description is more on point. People can usually describe why they want something, if asked, instead what they want. It's not too difficult to come up with a reasonable scope if either the dev or the manager knows how to start and scope a project. Usually they both suck. The manager will send an unclear email. The developer will start developing right away. None have any idea what they are supposed to do, why or when.
- k__ 9y agoOften the manager also expects the dev to start right away. For managers the value of a developer is the solutions they build divided by the amount of time and information they need to build it. You have always the choice between delaying further or delivering something they like as soon as possible, risking they don't like it.
- k__ 9y agoYes. Normally you would need a prototype, throw it away after you saw the reactions to it and build something new. But often there is no money for this :/
- defen 9y agoThis is why it's key to ask clients what problem they're trying to solve, rather than just delivering what they say they want. The classic, "If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said 'a faster horse'." Especially don't let non-technical people constrain the range of possible solutions without very good reasons.
- thwarted 9y agoThis short is a great example. https://youtu.be/BKorP55Aqvg https://youtu.be/BKorP55Aqvg
- raarts 9y agoYou forgot: I can't answer all that, you are the expert!