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A Haircut or How to Be a Horrible Software Architect
- mcherm 12y agoI am unimpressed. Offering the customer options is NOT a bad idea. Many customers know what they want and expect the barber to execute on that. Other customers can't quite express what they want but if you ask them leading question, like "Would you like it shorter over on the side here?" then they can communicate their desires. Apparently THIS customer had no idea what he wanted and expected the barber to deliver a cut he liked without asking him any questions about his hair or his preferences. He doesn't even mention telling his barber "Hey, I don't really know what I want, just give me a good, standard cut without asking any questions." Frankly, I think the barber was doing a good job and got stiffed on his tip. All analogies to software development are intentional. I've had great customers and I've had tricky customers, but I've had a few customers who refused to meet with me to discuss requirements and they were the worst kind of all.
- frikk 12y agoIt makes me wonder if the author would have complained even more if the barber made decisions on his behalf that, in the end, he didn't like. Calling the barber unprofessional and immature is crass and, frankly, unprofessional and immature.