Dear customer
Discussions as polarized as the one about estimates vs #noestimates tend to get out of hand. Especially on the Internet. We all end up repeating our own arguments, not getting anywhere. Not growing any wiser, just more annoyed with each other.
At least for now, I’m done discussing.
So instead let me address you, my dear customer.
You are probably a bit confused about the whole #noestimates debate. And you still feel convinced it makes sense to have a budget and an estimate, for what you believe to be obvious reasons. Maybe so.
I understand that money is important. I understand that you need reassurance that someone involved have at least an idea about the total cost. I do care about your money. Indirectly. I care about your problem, and about making it go away. I care about removing it in the most efficient, effective, simple and beautiful way possible. That’s what you should hire me to do, not to count hours or write reports.
Figuring out how much someone is spending is just a matter of adding up the burn rate. Figuring out what they’re doing with your money is another matter entirely. The current solutions are reports. At best they tell you there are problems. If you don’t hear anything, all is well. Delegated authority and all that.
You might as well admit it, you don’t read the damn things anyway.
I care about your problem, and about making it go away. That’s what you should hire me to do, not to count hours or write reports.
So please, no more reports. No more counting. Instead, we invite you to come and see for yourself, and we’ll show you exactly how far we’ve come. We’ll even let you try it and explain what we’re doing, in a language you understand.
If you’re happy with what you see, we’re happy too. If you’re not, we’ll fix it.
If we are allowed to do what we do best, if you hang around so we can show it to you, and you keep giving us relevant feedback — Then we are going to solve your problem. Not me. You and me both. And I think it’s going to be both cheaper and better than if we were building it through a traditional project.
I think you’ll like this new way of doing things. And if you are willing to give it a chance, I think you’ll realize you’ll feel more in control than you used to.
