Comments on: Failure is an option http://www.sowrey.org/2009/06/failure-is-an-option/ A miscellany of know-it-all-isms by Geoff Sowrey Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:27:17 +0000 hourly 1 By: Geoff http://www.sowrey.org/2009/06/failure-is-an-option/#comment-6849 Geoff Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:55:17 +0000 http://www.sowrey.org/?p=1361#comment-6849 An outstanding article from Harvard Business that really states the reason why failure is needed. http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/bregman/2009/07/why-you-need-to-fail.html An outstanding article from Harvard Business that really states the reason why failure is needed.

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/bregman/2009/07/why-you-need-to-fail.html

]]> By: Ivan http://www.sowrey.org/2009/06/failure-is-an-option/#comment-6775 Ivan Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:31:08 +0000 http://www.sowrey.org/?p=1361#comment-6775 Your right man... frequent feedback to the client is the best you could do in these cases... Your right man… frequent feedback to the client is the best you could do in these cases…

]]> By: Geoff http://www.sowrey.org/2009/06/failure-is-an-option/#comment-6760 Geoff Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:11:45 +0000 http://www.sowrey.org/?p=1361#comment-6760 Oh, careful there, Ivan... Always remember that the rules don't apply to clients. If they decide to call you on a risky move later on, it doesn't matter if you've got a document they've signed in the presence of a lawyer written in the plainest language you can find. Clients will still call you on it. Client privilege. ;) What you need to do is keep them informed and involved. That way, if nothing else, they won't be surprised... Oh, careful there, Ivan…

Always remember that the rules don’t apply to clients. If they decide to call you on a risky move later on, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a document they’ve signed in the presence of a lawyer written in the plainest language you can find. Clients will still call you on it. Client privilege. ;)

What you need to do is keep them informed and involved. That way, if nothing else, they won’t be surprised…

]]> By: Ivan http://www.sowrey.org/2009/06/failure-is-an-option/#comment-6743 Ivan Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:46:50 +0000 http://www.sowrey.org/?p=1361#comment-6743 I like your post, it has a different perspective. The sooner you get to know the risks of your project the better... That way you can start looking for new solutions, new ideas and provide a better feedback to your client (and vice versa) about the actual status of the project and how you can work together trying to mitigate those risks. And if it fails well... at least you and your client were prepared. Worst thing you can do is lie to yourself and to your client... I like your post, it has a different perspective.
The sooner you get to know the risks of your project the better… That way you can start looking for new solutions, new ideas and provide a better feedback to your client (and vice versa) about the actual status of the project and how you can work together trying to mitigate those risks. And if it fails well… at least you and your client were prepared. Worst thing you can do is lie to yourself and to your client…

]]> By: Geoff http://www.sowrey.org/2009/06/failure-is-an-option/#comment-6742 Geoff Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:03:33 +0000 http://www.sowrey.org/?p=1361#comment-6742 Tom, c'mon... you're comparing apples and oranges, here. Any developer who feels they've failed because QA returned a defect in their code clearly has issues understanding the scope of a problem. A defect suggests that the developer found a solution to the problem (whatever it happens to be) and put it out to be reviewed. That's not failure -- that's success. The fact that they got something wrong is another problem altogether. Really embracing failure is when you see the problem, and aren't sure what the solution is. You have no guarantees of success or performance, but based on what you believe to be correct and on what research you can find, push ahead (with everyone's blessing) to find the solution. Tom, c’mon… you’re comparing apples and oranges, here.

Any developer who feels they’ve failed because QA returned a defect in their code clearly has issues understanding the scope of a problem. A defect suggests that the developer found a solution to the problem (whatever it happens to be) and put it out to be reviewed. That’s not failure — that’s success. The fact that they got something wrong is another problem altogether.

Really embracing failure is when you see the problem, and aren’t sure what the solution is. You have no guarantees of success or performance, but based on what you believe to be correct and on what research you can find, push ahead (with everyone’s blessing) to find the solution.

]]> By: Tom http://www.sowrey.org/2009/06/failure-is-an-option/#comment-6739 Tom Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:08:04 +0000 http://www.sowrey.org/?p=1361#comment-6739 I'm not sure I agree with you Geoff. Failure to one person may just be one step of progression to another. A developer may feel they failed delivering something when QA returns their work with some bugs, but that work, although buggy, is still a step closer to the end result then when we started. I would have to agree with Yoda: "Do or do not, there is no Try". But then, Yoda didn't put time restraints on that, did he? ;) I’m not sure I agree with you Geoff. Failure to one person may just be one step of progression to another. A developer may feel they failed delivering something when QA returns their work with some bugs, but that work, although buggy, is still a step closer to the end result then when we started. I would have to agree with Yoda: “Do or do not, there is no Try”. But then, Yoda didn’t put time restraints on that, did he? ;)

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