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> If you ask your client questions and debate features, that's already a good start. I've always been doing that, and felt uncomfortable to call this activity
by goblin89 14y ago
> If you ask your client questions and debate features, that's already a good start.
I've always been doing that, and felt uncomfortable to call this activity ‘programming’. Local clients (small businesses) hire a web developer to build a site, but it usually requires at least some education and research, as they rarely have good understanding of their needs. Still I'm shy to call it consulting except to myself. Your comment helped me understand better that it's almost exactly that consulting everyone talks about—thank you.
You mentioned books—can you recommend some titles, authors, or maybe subjects?
- liquidcool 14y agoOne book I found very valuable (and discovered on another HN thread) was Gerald Weinberg's "Secrets of Consulting." That book generated lots of good ideas. If you pause at the publication date, don't. You'd be shocked how little this stuff changes, until you realize (as Weinberg explains) it's always a people problem, and people haven't changed. I also recommend Patrick's recent podcasts/interviews on the subject.
- goblin89 14y agoThanks a lot for recommendations, the book looks very interesting. I have Patrick's podcasts in queue, and just realized that ahoyhere is Amy Hoy who was a guest on one of the episodes. =)