[chiefalchemist]

> Nail down what the requestor wants and be sure you both agree.

I don't want to nitpick but the change of a single word is going to make significant difference in the outcome, time spent, satisfaction, next steps, etc.

Nail down what the requestor *needs* and be sure you both agree...

I wish I had $20 for everytime the initial "I want..." followed by a couple of questions - or even the famous The 5 Whys - evolved into the true (business) need.

[electrondood]

"Can you tell me more about why you want X?"

They actually need Y.

Time saved.

[snerbles]

The real fun begins when an executive skips down the chain to directly order you to provide X, accompanied with another order forbidding any further efforts on Y.

Then, six months later, said executive shows back up demanding to know why you haven't provisioned this great Y thingamajig that his golf buddy was raving about.

[jroseattle]

That's right. It's all part of the back-and-forth of good faith.

[PH95VuimJjqBqy]

It's also why senior's are so important and why the dichotomy between product people and technical people is so inane and stupid.

There are developers that just want to keep their head down and write code, you'll never get those people to ask the questions that are being suggested here.

[chiefalchemist]

True. The problem is, eventually those devs will want to be promoted and yet haven't exhibited any business acumen or any skills outside their technology focus.

When new / jr devs ask me what they should learn, I say: business, marketing, etc, and improve your comms skills ( speaking, writing, and listening). That's not the answer they get typically.

[mock-possum]

Yeah honestly I know I’m capable of asking those kinds of questions, but I’ve been realizing lately that I just don’t want to. I want other people to figure their shit out first, then come to me when it’s ready to be built.

[chiefalchemist]

Few users / clients actually know tho'. They think in wants. They think in - because of past disappointments - what they can get. They think in what they think the boss wants. They rarely think in actual biz needs.

You can give them *exactly* what they ask for and still be wrong. The user / client isn't going to admit that. Nah. They'll just play the "Damn IT" card and it'll be back to the drawing board but now with a shit load of tension.

It's best to ask - sooner rather than later.

[another2another]

But expecting anybody to know all the details about a request, as well as the consequences to other bits of functionality in a system (especially if it's still being built) is unrealistic.

Most people have a vague idea of the outcome they want, and the reason for it. They also quickly know what they don't want _once they see it_

And that's why agile and iterative development is actually great for GUI based user interactive app development.

[PH95VuimJjqBqy]

well shit, you should just roll over on your back and cry until someone puts a bottle in your mouth then.

One of the advantages of being helpless is not taking responsibility.