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I'm not so sure I agree with this reasoning. I agree with asking questions about their business and strategy because such questions can lead to interesting conv

I'm not so sure I agree with this reasoning. I agree with asking questions about their business and strategy because such questions can lead to interesting conversations, but to outright refuse to do someone's project because you don't think it'll work is the epitome of arrogance. Lots of people want BS projects and lots of people also only really learn through experience. That $10k project that is "obviously doomed to fail" might give them a fairly cheap education in business that will lead them to their next, more profitable project. Or, perhaps, they'll figure out they're not getting the results they want, ask why, and make the necessary changes to make it work with that $10k thing that's been built. Not everybody is irrational or unreasonable in the face of failure. (Also, that BS project might actually succeed too.) Bear in mind that most businesses fail, and someone's first and second businesses are even more likely to fail. Trying to save someone from failing in this way is depriving them of the experience that they need to be successful later. It's akin to trying to stop a toddler from falling but also preventing them from learning to walk. Experience is a valuable teacher and we don't need to be out trying to save the world from failure. Failure is necessary. One more example: if I go to my hair stylist and ask for it all to be shaved off, I'd hope that he'd tell me I wouldn't look good with a buzz cut. However, if I insisted, I'd also hope that he'd do it anyway. Perhaps the only three good reasons that spring to mind for turning away a prospect are a lack of ability or willingness to pay, an inability to complete the project, and a severe personality conflict that's going to lead to lots of drama in the working relationship.

eitland 14y ago
Mostly agree. The customer is always (in their) right to be wrong. (As long as they pay for it.) However one rule my Dad made sure to remember was that although someone deserves "a real beating" (obviously figuratively speaking here) you should always avoid being the tool used for that.
cdmoyer 14y ago
I think the part where your stylist first tries to talk you out of the (in their opinion) bad idea is the important part. I've built plenty of things for clients that I thought were of dubious value, but I always tell them my concerns and push them to iterate through the project to avoid getting in too deep. Sometimes, I've been wrong about the value. And sometimes, as the post suggests, I've said no. I don't think either is a wrong, as long as you are honest from the get go.
ahoyhere 14y ago
Do you pay your hair stylist $10k+ for creating hair that will theoretically increase your bottom line? Will that hair project also require months of work? If so, your hair stylist would be very, very smart to say "No, sorry," to your request, because then there will be at least one more client of his/hers out there with a negative result. Which makes the hair stylist's portfolio success rate that much lower. And the sign of somebody who won't say "No" is the sign of somebody who's not dedicated to results. As consulting god Weinberg would put it, they'd fail the Orange Juice Test: http://blog.intercom.io/the-orange-juice-test/ http://blog.intercom.io/the-orange-juice-test/ If you ask me, a better metaphor would be whether a person will go out with absolutely anyone who offers them a free dinner (even if they think the potential date is dumb as a box of rocks)… And what other, later, more desirable potential dates would think of that person's choice to not exert choice.

eitland 14y ago

Mostly agree. The customer is always (in their) right to be wrong. (As long as they pay for it.) However one rule my Dad made sure to remember was that although someone deserves "a real beating" (obviously figuratively speaking here) you should always avoid being the tool used for that.

cdmoyer 14y ago

I think the part where your stylist first tries to talk you out of the (in their opinion) bad idea is the important part. I've built plenty of things for clients that I thought were of dubious value, but I always tell them my concerns and push them to iterate through the project to avoid getting in too deep. Sometimes, I've been wrong about the value. And sometimes, as the post suggests, I've said no. I don't think either is a wrong, as long as you are honest from the get go.

ahoyhere 14y ago

Do you pay your hair stylist $10k+ for creating hair that will theoretically increase your bottom line? Will that hair project also require months of work? If so, your hair stylist would be very, very smart to say "No, sorry," to your request, because then there will be at least one more client of his/hers out there with a negative result. Which makes the hair stylist's portfolio success rate that much lower. And the sign of somebody who won't say "No" is the sign of somebody who's not dedicated to results. As consulting god Weinberg would put it, they'd fail the Orange Juice Test: http://blog.intercom.io/the-orange-juice-test/ http://blog.intercom.io/the-orange-juice-test/ If you ask me, a better metaphor would be whether a person will go out with absolutely anyone who offers them a free dinner (even if they think the potential date is dumb as a box of rocks)… And what other, later, more desirable potential dates would think of that person's choice to not exert choice.