| I couldn't agree more. Accuracy is a problem, variation is another problem. Dealing with layers in the business who have no math or statistics background but very strong opinions is yet another complication. These types of conversations aren't uncommon. Other - "I need you to prove our stuff does X, Y, and Z". Me - "Ok.." <time elapses> Me - "Ok the data shows our stuff does X but Y and Z are just random noise" Other - "We ran it once before with this other guy and it showed our stuff did X,Y and Z. We've been promising it to our clients for a year. He gave us several examples, but when the clients asked to see the underlying data he couldn't produce it. So we just need you to prove it does X,Y, and Z." Me - "The data only shows it does X. Y and Z are impacted positively through X, but once you condition on X, Y and Z are not causally affected by our stuff" Other - "Yeah...well I promised client we would give them a report by {{insert random ridiculous date here}} proving it did X, Y and Z. We are going to lose them if we don't deliver a report saying that" Me - trying for the 50th time to explain they shouldn't promise a positive result when we've never looked at the data. There are hundreds of variations on this conversation. Your code is wrong is one variant (which depending on the timeline is hard to dispute). Of course if you take long enough that your code is correct, then you are going to slow. This isn't a science experiment, just make it work is another. Watching someone go slack jawed and start drooling because you accidentally used a math term is always interesting. I have a whole new perspective of being on the cutting edge. It seems like it mostly means you are on the cutting edge of comments from people who don't know how ridiculously hard what you are doing is. |
I'm only half kidding. I can remember writing my first report (project summary) when I did a contract right after grad school. I put in maybe 5 graphs. Two looked good, three looked bad. The project manager just deleted the bad looking graphs and sent it on to the client.