This is still better than programming in general. He had done it before but bumped into a few fatal unknowns. In programming, this would be like doing another i

This is still better than programming in general. He had done it before but bumped into a few fatal unknowns. In programming, this would be like doing another integration of the company product, but for another customer with some custom changes. But most real jobs I've been paid money for would be analogous to "Install a washing machine in the house. Here's a concrete footing to start with; you might have to design and build some kind of a house on the go. And we don't have a washing machine either, we need to hash out at least thing for that, too." So, a lot of known unknown-unknowns and that's effectively what the whole profession is about. Writing stuff that hasn't been written before.