Project Management and Cooking

Sometimes when developing product, some company will make a product, and design it later. That sounds funny, but it happens. Especially if the product is simple, or seems simple. Sometimes also, the product development hits a roadblock, so the company have to make a U-turn and go back to the drawing block.

I was retelling this to a colleague when he replied that in his previous company, it was done differently (or more correctly, if I may add). He said there is a group of people who discussed what the product is about, how to achieve it, etc.; basically they wrote the System Definition (read: Cakes and Systems Definition). Why did in the example above, did they do as described, asked my colleague.

Simple. Similarly like baking, while cooking, some people decide what they want to eat, then looked on the internet for a recipe, then go to buy grocery, came back home and washed the ingredient before cooking and then they eat.
Some people meanwhile open the fridge, look at what they have left in there, and start cooking something. While cooking, they realised they are missing certain ingredients, and they stopped cooking and go to buy grocery. So yeah, that happens in project too.

And I would like to add that it is not always the people involved are to blame. There might be pressures from many sides, and it is not unusual a project gets a green light (or even considered delayed), before any of the basics are in place. We have to deal with it. Just like when you get back from work and the kids are clamouring for food, you cook whatever you can. It’s not the best situation, but so ist das leben, c’est la vie.

Thank you for reading.