Finding a Unicorn
The reason why I’m writing this story is that there is a bizarre symmetry with my wife and I’s current personal task and my day job. Trying to balance user needs, organisational requirements (both functional and non-functional), delivering client outcomes within the right price point is a fine balancing act.
A Unicorn is described as a mythological animal resembling a horse with a single large, pointed, spiralling horn projecting from its forehead!
When I’m not working with clients to help teams deliver outcomes, I’m a husband and Dad to my wife and three children. Our youngest fell in love with Ponies a couple of years ago (it’s my wife’s fault, spending so much time with her own horse, that our little girl has grown up around them).
Recently, we’ve been on the look out for our daughters next pony, and for those in the know, finding the right pony is a real minefield and is quite literally like trying to find a Unicorn!
As parents, you’re looking for an animal somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 a tonne, with a mind of it’s own that is not going to trample over your little one when they are trying to brush it in the stable, or isn’t going to decide it wants to jump over the fence, reer up, or bolt.
You’re also looking for something without health issues, eating disorders, doesn’t mind being clipped, or have a farrier with hot irons adding metal to it’s feet, or a vet poking around and injecting it from time to time (vaccinations).
When moving to the next pony, as your child moves up the gears, the requirements increase! You are now looking for a pony who can hack out alone and in company, look smart in the dressage arena, jump, go through water (cross country course) and not run off when out in an open field.
Now I know what you are thinking — all horses can jump right? Actually no. Some are scared of poles, some don’t enjoy jumping, some can take it or leave it and some love it. Obvisouly when on the lookout for your daughters next pony, you will avoid those that are scared or don’t enjoy jumping (if your little jockey wants to jump, which ours does).
For those ponies that take it or leave it (when it comes to jumping), you never know when they are going to have a bad day and refuse a jump throwing off their jockey (your little pride and joy).
And finally onto those ponies that love to jump. How do you find a pony that’s not going to jump the moon, race to the fence before jumping and not get so excited with the jump they throw in a little buck after the jump?
If you can (by some miracle), find something that meets all the requirements above (avoiding the negatives), finding it within a sensible price point adds to the complexity. Hence you are more likely to find a Unicorn than find the right pony!
Hopefully (if all goes well), I’ll post an update for our search for a Unicorn!
