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Seconded. On a): More than a little. Plan to be "90% done" by halfway through the schedule. Remember that "the last 10% takes the other 90% of the time". Th
by mooneater 18y ago
Seconded.
On a): More than a little. Plan to be "90% done" by halfway through the schedule. Remember that "the last 10% takes the other 90% of the time". This is entirely true, and its due to unknowns. When this 90% at halfway approach becomes instinct, you will miss very few deadlines. This has become my internal Golden Rule for non-trivial projects.
On b): My business would never have launched if I didn't constantly stretch my skillset past what I thought I could do. But there is still a limit.
On c): Clients never like unexpected surprises. But they hate them even more if they appear late in the game. Keep expectations in line with reality.
- babul 18y agoon b): yes, but do you do it on client time? I try not to, as it causes uncertainty in deliverables, unless the client is happy with experimenting. I learn/expand in my own time on "fun" projects :)
- bridgetroll 18y agoIn my experience, it is normal practice to factor time into the estimate (call it risk factor if you want) to push your skills. You factor a profit margin into your estimate right? As long as the customer is satisfied with the overall quality, cost and timeliness of the product, you've met your obligations as a business. Why does the "profit" always have to be only cash? learned skills are a form of capital reinvestment that the customers pay for just like they pay you a profit margin to do the work.