How much how much? I would do it for X / 10 rubles!
Yesterday there was a free minute and I sat down to read Habr. One of the first articles I stumbled upon is “ Our answer to 3doodler.” Assembled in 20 minutes . ” And now I read it, watch the video, and I feel that I have deja vu. And it’s so bad. Raising a wave of indignation. I am not comfortable.
What is it?
I am a business process analyst, architect, and software developer. Converting “analog” requirements to “digital architecture” with subsequent implementation is my mission, my bread.
Returning mentally to the causes of deja vu, a picture appears before my eyes:
You are meeting with the customer. The customer has a problem. He does not know how to solve it, he is not familiar with the technologies that will help in this. That's why you are talking now.
You are listening carefully. Specify questions. Build a draft solution model by highlighting areas of the task that require separate study on the amount of work and timelines. In parallel, build a stack of technologies that you will need and compare it with the capabilities of the customer, with your current capabilities. The work is at the stage of analysis. Work is already underway.
Some time has passed. Timing and cost are already agreed. Work is in full swing. In the morning you get up with thoughts about the project. Your body drinks coffee, but you yourself have long been at the mercy of abstract models, interface prototypes, logical traps and inconsistencies - the products of last night.
The day is coming. You look into the void and smile. You just found a solution to one problem that tormented you. One of the many components of a global challenge. This decision, it is almost tangible. It cannot be touched yet, but it already exists. You catch yourself thinking that the answer was prompted by some echoes from your projects of the early 90s of the last century. Some elusive allusions directed your thoughts in the right direction. Hmm ... All the same, experience is important even in areas where much has changed even in a few years. This makes me happy.
Late evening. You are already tired, but the task does not let go. She is inexorable. Until the prototype works, confirming the correctness of the solution that was invented during the day, it will not work. And you write. You are debugging. I won’t go to bed without a commit!
Night. Sleep, what could be more beautiful? Or something can overshadow him? Nightmare? No ... the brain. Your brain continues to debug code. Every now and again. Stop! What's this? And if so? Perhaps, under these conditions, a bug will come out here! How could I ignore this? .. 5:31 on the clock. I have to sleep. I'll figure it out in the morning. In the morning ... to sleep!
All is ready! All is ready? Yes, no matter how! You are experienced. You know that if you have a working ready-made solution in your hands, then this is not the end - implementation is ahead. And implementation is insidious. Ooh, he will definitely have surprises for you. How will the system behave in real conditions? You go over the points again - no, everything should be fine. Must run. Everything is solvable, all this took place many times. Everything will be fine.
Time has passed. The solution is implemented and working. Behind the setting, fitting to reality, user training. The client is satisfied ...
And one day, you are talking with this client on the topic of developing cooperation and you feel something is wrong. During the conversation, you find out that the customer is either on the line of acquaintance, or even what kind of fate was a certain person. Young, positive, kept confident. A man, sort of from your field, well, this is also a “programmer."
The customer showed him your work, briefly explained what and how, and casually asked how much it costs from the side. The man thought for a couple of minutes and suggested the amount ... And everything would be fine, but the announced amount was ten times less. And he said: "I would have done for so much ...".
Since then, your customer has become kind of gloomy. There are no new projects with him.
Maybe this stranger is brilliant? After all, he analyzed business processes in a few minutes, revealed the goals and objectives of the solution, decided on what and how he would do it, developed archeology, business logic, and took into account the nuances of implementation. Give him some more time and he will give out the same and even better for the cost of your work / 10!
Or not?
Maybe a person has already seen a ready-made, hard-won decision, to which others went stubbornly and mechanically appreciated the repetition of what was already invented? After all, it seems that everything is already clear. Is this not one of the reasons for the erroneous estimation of the cost of work? Is this a sign of insufficient experience?
The most ideal statement of the problem to the developer is a demonstration of its implementation.
And you, what did you feel? Common situation?
UPD
Do not take what is written as a reaction to specific events. The article mentioned at the beginning indirectly gave an impetus, but was not the reason. The theme has been in the air for a long time, as a result took shape. Please take this post as a parable. I specifically publish it on Friday. So to speak in the mood.
What is it?
I am a business process analyst, architect, and software developer. Converting “analog” requirements to “digital architecture” with subsequent implementation is my mission, my bread.
Returning mentally to the causes of deja vu, a picture appears before my eyes:
Scene One:
You are meeting with the customer. The customer has a problem. He does not know how to solve it, he is not familiar with the technologies that will help in this. That's why you are talking now.
You are listening carefully. Specify questions. Build a draft solution model by highlighting areas of the task that require separate study on the amount of work and timelines. In parallel, build a stack of technologies that you will need and compare it with the capabilities of the customer, with your current capabilities. The work is at the stage of analysis. Work is already underway.
Scene Two:
Some time has passed. Timing and cost are already agreed. Work is in full swing. In the morning you get up with thoughts about the project. Your body drinks coffee, but you yourself have long been at the mercy of abstract models, interface prototypes, logical traps and inconsistencies - the products of last night.
The day is coming. You look into the void and smile. You just found a solution to one problem that tormented you. One of the many components of a global challenge. This decision, it is almost tangible. It cannot be touched yet, but it already exists. You catch yourself thinking that the answer was prompted by some echoes from your projects of the early 90s of the last century. Some elusive allusions directed your thoughts in the right direction. Hmm ... All the same, experience is important even in areas where much has changed even in a few years. This makes me happy.
Late evening. You are already tired, but the task does not let go. She is inexorable. Until the prototype works, confirming the correctness of the solution that was invented during the day, it will not work. And you write. You are debugging. I won’t go to bed without a commit!
Night. Sleep, what could be more beautiful? Or something can overshadow him? Nightmare? No ... the brain. Your brain continues to debug code. Every now and again. Stop! What's this? And if so? Perhaps, under these conditions, a bug will come out here! How could I ignore this? .. 5:31 on the clock. I have to sleep. I'll figure it out in the morning. In the morning ... to sleep!
Scene Three:
All is ready! All is ready? Yes, no matter how! You are experienced. You know that if you have a working ready-made solution in your hands, then this is not the end - implementation is ahead. And implementation is insidious. Ooh, he will definitely have surprises for you. How will the system behave in real conditions? You go over the points again - no, everything should be fine. Must run. Everything is solvable, all this took place many times. Everything will be fine.
Scene Four:
Time has passed. The solution is implemented and working. Behind the setting, fitting to reality, user training. The client is satisfied ...
And one day, you are talking with this client on the topic of developing cooperation and you feel something is wrong. During the conversation, you find out that the customer is either on the line of acquaintance, or even what kind of fate was a certain person. Young, positive, kept confident. A man, sort of from your field, well, this is also a “programmer."
The customer showed him your work, briefly explained what and how, and casually asked how much it costs from the side. The man thought for a couple of minutes and suggested the amount ... And everything would be fine, but the announced amount was ten times less. And he said: "I would have done for so much ...".
Since then, your customer has become kind of gloomy. There are no new projects with him.
Reflection
Maybe this stranger is brilliant? After all, he analyzed business processes in a few minutes, revealed the goals and objectives of the solution, decided on what and how he would do it, developed archeology, business logic, and took into account the nuances of implementation. Give him some more time and he will give out the same and even better for the cost of your work / 10!
Or not?
Maybe a person has already seen a ready-made, hard-won decision, to which others went stubbornly and mechanically appreciated the repetition of what was already invented? After all, it seems that everything is already clear. Is this not one of the reasons for the erroneous estimation of the cost of work? Is this a sign of insufficient experience?
The most ideal statement of the problem to the developer is a demonstration of its implementation.
And you, what did you feel? Common situation?
UPD
Do not take what is written as a reaction to specific events. The article mentioned at the beginning indirectly gave an impetus, but was not the reason. The theme has been in the air for a long time, as a result took shape. Please take this post as a parable. I specifically publish it on Friday. So to speak in the mood.