Perfect Technology
Possibly more often than I should, I indulge in a frustrating pastime: trying to set aside everything I know, or think I know, about software development, and working out from first principles what is certainly, definitely true about things like "design" or "requirements". Occasionally, it has its rewards - you hit upon ideas which simplify a whole complex area and let you think more clearly about it.A while ago I read and appreciated an article on "Project Chartering" written by a delightfully eccentric consultant named III (pronounced "three"), whom I had the pleasure of meeting earlier this year in Phoenix, AZ. We discussed in some more detail many of the ideas in his paper.
One idea which particularly impressed me for its simplifying potential was the idea of "perfect technology". The thing is, everyone turns out to be able to give instant answers to a raft of questions about "perfect technology". Ask anyone: what is the storage capacity provided by perfect technology ? "Infinite" - the answer will come in an instant. How often does it break down ? "Never." What is its response time ? You get the idea, I'm sure.
What III suggests is that there is such a thing as "true requirements", as opposed to other things a customer might discuss, which might appear to be requirements or might even come labeled as requirements, but actually turn out to be something else - for instance, technology preferences or established procedures - and which will waste everyone's time if we try to analyze them as requirements. A good test, then, of true requirements is that they can be expressed in terms of "perfect technology".
Think about it. And go read III's article, it's quite interesting.
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