[fingerprinter]

The only way this usually works in software is to JFDI (Just Freakin' Do It). The thing that Jefferson did is he did the _work_ , not just present the idea. In software, the "work" is running prototype code.

Even then if you have a "vision" person, they may not be 100% sold if they don't like the design, but know your audience a bit you can be prepared for it.

I understand what you are saying, because very early on in my career I was one of those people that would present ideas, even architectures and expect people to get on board....now I realize that you have to sometimes drag them and in software, you drag by showing them something working and how it is possible...give them something to tweak and criticize that is real working code, not drawings on a page.

[bigiain]

"The only way this usually works in software is to JFDI (Just Freakin' Do It)."

Aka "rough consensus and running code" - as used by David Clark and the IETF: http://www.ietf.org/tao.html#anchor3

If you've got an idea - _and_ a plan _and_ a working implementation of that plan, you'll get taken much more seriously that the people who're trying to come up with ideas on the spot (even though occasionally their ideas might genuinely be better than yours).

[brudgers]

>"The thing that Jefferson did is he did the _work_"

Jefferson didn't do it alone - his team slaved away for him.

Literally.

[brudgers]

University of Virginia's Apology for using slave labor in the execution of Jefferson's plan [2007/4/27].

http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=1933