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I've heard non-technical folks with their heads in the clouds expecting to run millions of dollars in transactions through an IT system, but cringed at my sugge

I've heard non-technical folks with their heads in the clouds expecting to run millions of dollars in transactions through an IT system, but cringed at my suggestion that they're likely to dump more than a couple hundred grand one-time into the scheme. Yet the same person doesn't blink at paying significantly more than that yearly maintaining existing low-tech systems, and has already spent millions on ERP projects. I think a lot of this effect is caused by wishful thinking from people embarking on business plans which they would realise are non-viable if they did the accounting properly. People are buying a fantasy instead of an IT system.

lifeisstillgood 6y ago
The difference is that an existing IT system is real and can be purchased for X amount. A potential future one cannot - and while devs are able to estimate (poorly) how long it will take others cannot and there is a real human bias - in fact one could say the future system is the fantasy
- imtringued 6y ago
  Purchases are good in the short term. You can evaluate them and pick the most suitable. Once you have settled with one product and know what you want it may make sense to work on optimizing your business with a custom fit solution.
renewiltord 6y ago
Well, we all know why that is the case: uncertainty. If I pay $100k for a thing, I'm actually paying $100k for a chance at the thing by the date. Most likely, I'm going to end up paying 2x for the thing by 2x the time. Happens everywhere. And that's not because the guy making it is shit. It's because while he's making it, the market is moving and I'm watching it, and when it moves enough I have to come over to him and tell him to change things. That's why slow, costly things overrun by more and are later. It's because the world changes, and fast+cheap things are superior because even if they're worse, they exist and can therefore be changed to what the world is.

lifeisstillgood 6y ago

The difference is that an existing IT system is real and can be purchased for X amount. A potential future one cannot - and while devs are able to estimate (poorly) how long it will take others cannot and there is a real human bias - in fact one could say the future system is the fantasy

imtringued 6y ago
Purchases are good in the short term. You can evaluate them and pick the most suitable. Once you have settled with one product and know what you want it may make sense to work on optimizing your business with a custom fit solution.

renewiltord 6y ago

Well, we all know why that is the case: uncertainty. If I pay $100k for a thing, I'm actually paying $100k for a chance at the thing by the date. Most likely, I'm going to end up paying 2x for the thing by 2x the time. Happens everywhere. And that's not because the guy making it is shit. It's because while he's making it, the market is moving and I'm watching it, and when it moves enough I have to come over to him and tell him to change things. That's why slow, costly things overrun by more and are later. It's because the world changes, and fast+cheap things are superior because even if they're worse, they exist and can therefore be changed to what the world is.