This reminds me of "you go to war with the army you have, not the one you want". It's easy to think about what the perfect greenfield solution would be, but th

This reminds me of "you go to war with the army you have, not the one you want". It's easy to think about what the perfect greenfield solution would be, but this is rarely the case. There's the "best" solution, and the "most applicable" solution. In my conversations with non-technical managers I spend much more time arguing against the "best" solution, and for what best fits our situation. If I can't reach them I will break out this line: "Nothing would make me happier than to spend more money and time on new technology, but I think we can meet your needs with X."