Re: Reality check

[Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

> I am looking for a reality check. The client seems immovable about the 4
> weeks. I keep saying starting now and they keep saying in mid Feb.
Before I
> call and explain why this seems like a train-wreck in the making and we
try
> to limit our wrecks when possible, can anyone think of anything we are
not
> thinking of?

We just did:

- User Manual
- On-line help
- Context sensitive help
- API Reference
- Quick Start Guide

For a client in 217 hours (4 weeks) for a mind-bendingly complex network
security product. And when I say mind-bending, I am serious. This product
required deeeeeeeeeep knowledge of networking just to comprehend its
function.

It was a very tough 4 weeks. A lot of long hours. However, the writer who
did the work is one of the best in the world and he had the unlimited tech
support of myself and the client. 

The docs aren't perfect, but they're done, they're accurate, and we did it
for 1/2 our normal cost and in about 1/4 the time. 

If I were in your shoes, I'd take the job. Challenges like that are worth
it. When you get it done and deliver quality work, you feel great. And
you'll win a client for life. 

If you take it, take it full-on. Don't chicken out half way through and
don't throw a rod when things melt down at the 11th hour. 

We were not originally supposed to do an API ref for our client. They told
us ... get this.. about 30 hours before deadline that we had to do an API
ref. Sure, I could have spouted contract terms and wound up in a war...but
we decided to do it. And we did - in about 4 hours. It was hard, brain
melting work. The writer who did the job was fried to a crisp at the end.
But, he also made good money and gets to spend the next few weeks
recuperating in Vegas.

Take the job and make it so.

Andrew Plato 


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