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I am constantly trying to have metaphors to explain to business people what building software is, and why failures happen, and why having it sooner is NOT better than having it right.
I usually use hiring an architect to design a new building. Having to ask all the right questions about how it will be used, who will be using it (giants or little people, special needs, etc) all impact the design. And those decisions need to be made early. (ignoring waterfall vs. agile debates here).
Recently, I stumbled across someone looking for a "package" to run their shop. They wanted us to tell them which package they should go with, but we were there on an initial meeting. We told them it would be a horrible idea to proffer an opinion knowing so little about what they do, and about what they SHOULD be doing better.
After the meeting, I was pondering how to explain this to them.
So, I thought of the concept of saying. What you have now is a PLAY. You know all the scenes, the lines, the roles, the players. Now, to get to the next level, you need a Musical Score to accentuate that play, and allow people to be more engaged with what they are doing.
Don't you think, before the Music is written, that the Musicians should read/watch the play?
Should understand the meaning of the "Parts"?
Should know the entire story?
Should have a clue where the sequel might go?
I am curious about feedback to this line of thinking?
Does this make sense as a way to get people to understand that the final piece, if done well, adds extreme value, and if done poorly, by people who do not understand, will produce a poor result.
Just loading up Van Halen songs and playing them may be great for the one manager who loves Van Halen, but honestly, is that what they need?
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... music comes from hydrogen bombs ...
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Yeah it's kinda like that.
Software projects are never complete they just have to be shipped at some point.
Audio mixes are never complete They also have to be shipped at some point.
In both instances, the engineer is left holding an unfinished issue list while sales / marketing run off with the "product" because there are boat slip dues and such that need to be paid up.
There is an old adage that goes:
In the life time of any project there is a time to shoot the engineer and go into production.
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Excellent response! +5
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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Yeah, that's the one. I heard it from an old bit slice firmware guy I worked with in the 80s.
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Kirk 10389821 wrote: I am curious about feedback to this line of thinking?
Using architecture, to build a house, is more common. It also gives an impression that it is harder to change the basement as building moves on.
Lots of places choose speed over quality and security. If you want to continue building your Skyscraper on those two first floors that are made of paper, you will probably need to do some little adjustments. And yes, you can pick a random deadline. Means it success will become equally random 
If you cannot say that you would love to own such a skyscraper, then maybe it is time to stop accepting those kind of "buildings". They're not buildings, they're accidents waiting to happen.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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Trying to be a programming rockstar  
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The most common question a customer asks is...
"I need software that does [insert 2 minute description here].. How much will that cost me?"
I usually use the building analogy, even though I really want to reach across and slap them senseless.
If it's not broken, fix it until it is
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Hand them a book with cross-word puzzles, where some puzzles cannot be completed due to missing parts of the page.
Ask them if they can give you an estimate on how long they need to complete it. Tell them you need a better deadline and a price-estimate.
No, that is not being rude. That is being honest. I'm going to call this new thing "ethics", and maybe write a software-development-methodology around it that sells some books.
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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When talking about what I do (coding), I usually use a cooking reference.
I say that I am the person who creates the recipe, and the computer is the "person" who follows the recipe.
Using the music metaphor, we are the composer and the band (or orchestra) will follow the score to play the music.
I'd rather be phishing!
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..first I want something with violins. And then Freddy Mercury singing a duet with Micheal Jackson.
Then canons. Can you do canons? They're a must-have, otherwise the project will fail. Then it needs two green transparent parallel lines in the form of a cat. I'll tell you the rest when you start playing, I need to hear it before I know what comes next 
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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ROTFLMAO
So you have met some of my prospects!
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Quote: Don't you think, before the Music is written, that the Musicians should read/watch the play?
Quote: Just loading up Van Halen songs and playing them may be great for the one manager who loves Van Halen, but honestly, is that what they need?
Off topic a little, but I watched a movie where the music clearly had no relation to the story or the plot line or even the current action and I wondered if it had been picked from the director's MP3-player favorites list!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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Kirk 10389821 wrote: I am curious about feedback to this line of thinking?
Seems reasonable except that your forgot the part where the director of the play is going to want to hear the music before the curtain goes up the first night. And probably make changes.
Not to mention that if the director changes the play then they must tell the composer about that.
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i think it is a poor analogy because the musical score isn't packaged, its suitability is a personal thing (one man's meat and all that).
I, too use the building analogy often - it is something concrete (intended) that people can get their heads around and understand that building a basement carpark after the 6th story is added might be more expensive than starting off with it!
If it is an off-the-shelf package you could use off-the-peg clothing - you moight know of a marvellous suit brand that would suit (intended) the guy perfectly - but if you don't know he's got one leg, has just lost 40kg after being ill and has a colostomy bag, the tailoring requirements will outweigh the costs of the suit.
similarly, with a bespoke suit, as the customer you'd kinda want to be measured first - and if you intend to wear it to the office you might get a different suit than if you wanted to wear it while windsurfing.
Also with clothing you can discuss that, while the look is really up to the client (although your experienced eye can make recommendations), the fit and functionality needs to be designed in.
PooperPig - Coming Soon
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Again, I usually use the building metaphors.
But I have to say, clothing metaphors are attractive (pun intended).
Interesting. I have to think about that a bit, but It is much easier than Music Score, and different enough from Building, that it fits (not intended) the idea, especially comparing existing products to each other. (you can use this open source, and custom tailor it, SAP and continuously discover new clothing/seasonal lines that have to be fitted, ...)
Worth posting the question just to get this...
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Kirk 10389821 wrote: Worth posting the question just to get this
Thanks!
Need to look around the room first in case someone is already wearing your example
PooperPig - Coming Soon
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From experience, especially with SMEs, the play/music score example is not going to make much impact, most of them have not seen or thought about a play since primary school!
Stick with the building, ALL of them understand a building they are sitting in one and use one every day.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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Kirk 10389821 wrote: I usually use hiring an architect to design a new building.
I do the same. I try to get across to them that while software is flexible, after a while it can take on the consistency of cement.
I use examples like, "Don't tell me you want a wet bar on the other side of the room after I've laid the concrete slab floor."
But then, before being seduced by the Dark Side of Programmingtm, I was studying to be an architect.
Psychosis at 10
Film at 11
Those who do not remember the past, are doomed to repeat it.
Those who do not remember the past, cannot build upon it.
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I don't know about anybody else, but I can't really relate to the problems of the music composer. It sounds like an OK analogy, but since I can't relate to it, it isn't very good at influencing me. This suggests that you need to pick an analogy that relates to the lives of the people you're trying to explain things to.
Yeah, it'd be nice if they'd be able to understand our world, but they aren't capable of doing that, so you need to understand their world enough to translate it into their terms for them. Just, beware of the concrete-only thinkers -- an analogy expects them to be able to grasp the abstraction, and there are people out there that are not only not smart enough to understand our world, but they can't even understand abstractions either.
We can program with only 1's, but if all you've got are zeros, you've got nothing.
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Kirk 10389821 wrote: Musicians should read/watch the play?
Should understand the meaning of the "Parts"?
Should know the entire story?
Should have a clue where the sequel might go?
no. as a professional musician i can tell you that i and my colleagues often play music (including musical theatre and opera) without having done or knowing any of the above. sorry. it might work for some but don't try that analogy with a musician.
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I find it interesting to throw out all of it because sometimes you dont.
But let me rephrase it for you.
If your friend has just written a play that will certainly make Broadway...
You would recommend just jamming out as the play goes along???
I am not talking just making music or a score. I am talking about trying to obtain the synergy that a musical score gives a Play, or a Movie...
While there is a lot of flexibility (as there are with choices in software), it would seem that for a Professional Production, you would would know.
Les Miserables to the tune of a Circus, repetitively would, in fact, ruin the play IMHO!
==
I see the similarities. I loved the discussion that came.
In the end, as a better alternative analogy, I now prefer the Tailored Suit Analogy.
Off the shelf + Customizations, Hand Made (roll your own), SAP (Buying the entire
product line, and tailoring for each area as a person, plus seasons, etc).
It is easy to have SAP taste, but hard to do on a JC Penny off the shelf price!
Definitely not on a Marshalls buyer beware budget. But that is what your choices
are (more or less).
In essence, you have to choose what is important. Getting EXACTLY what you want,
or getting a well fitting, well wearing suit. And what are you willing to invest.
Just saying: Fast. Cheap. Right. Choose 2, seems a little flippant. We have to educate
our clients as to what we do. What our role is.
Maybe you guys can create a musical score on the fly, as great as the music that is
more painstakingly developed. But can you do it every time? In the same manner. And,
does the client have the corresponding sheet music to have others play it as it moves around,
or is replicated elsewhere?
Again, I think it is moot now. It is comparable, at some level, to attempting to create music.
But it is harder to explain than the clothing metaphor is.
Thanks...
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yes, it's harder to explain.
Kirk 10389821 wrote: You would recommend just jamming out as the play goes along???
i see what you mean. i would not recommend this. and this is where terms and ideas often get mixed up. you were originally talking about (or meant) the composing of music but we both started talking about "the musicians":
Kirk 10389821 wrote:
Musicians should read/watch the play?
Should understand the meaning of the "Parts"?
Should know the entire story?
Should have a clue where the sequel might go?
change that to:
Composers should read/watch the play?
Should understand the meaning of the "Parts"?
Should know the entire story?
Should have a clue where the sequel might go?
and it works.
it might seem like a little difference but it's a actually a big thing. cheers.
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I would gladly compare a musical piece with a piece of software since people who actually create software and music are both artists.
Since I have the (bad) luck of being a software developer and a musician for many years I have found so many similarities between those two that in my opinion there is a very thin line that distinguishes them.
Let's see:
1) They are both underpaid.
2) they work long hours without any kind of recognition.
3) They may be self taught.
4) Artists are born not made.
5) It takes at least 10 years of study and practice to be considered experienced.
6) Good pieces of software and good pieces of music take years to create.
7) They both have to be constantly practicing new techniques ( technologies ).
8) There are "Mozarts" in programming and music.
9) They both should practice their arts as a hobby and not as a job.
10) Comparing a Piano player to a DJ ( RAD ) is like comparing a C Programmer to C# or Java Developer ( they are both musicians, but the piano player will always be the true artist ).
11) They both need stimuli and inspiration to work. Finding yourself idle in front of a monitor for many hours or days is called lack of inspiration ( and then suddenly estrus comes ).
12) Ask one million of programmers to write a software about something and then ask one million of musicians to write a song about something. You will get a million of different "scores".
13) A BA is a Director, a software architect is a conductor and a programmer is a musician.
14) Programming and performing music enhances Divergent thinking ( they don't give drums and guitars to CS students in campuses just for fun ).
And last but not least...
15) they fall in love with the wrong women.
And now let's do some replacements:
Don't you think, before the Music is written, that the Musicians should read/watch the play?
Don't you think, before the Music Software is written, that the Programmers should read/watch the play BA Document?
Should understand the meaning of the "Parts"?
Should understand the meaning of the "Parts" Business Processes?
Should know the entire story?
Should know the entire story Workflow?
Should have a clue where the sequel might go?
Should have a clue where the sequel next version might go?
Yes I do think so.
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