I have often wondered how a relationship between specialist (Web, designer, programmer, etc.,) can sometimes turn into the customer believing they understand everything better than the specialist, and how to do it.

This is when phrases like:

“Couldn’t you just..”

“All you have to do..”

“It should be pretty simple..”

“Can’t we make it really simple on the screen?  Why would that be more work to do it all behind the scenes?”

become more, and more common.

Problem? I don’t know. If you ignored everything clients say in this case, and only look at what they were doing, the client is basically saying they know better than you.  One could argue there’s something missing in the requirements phase.  Even when clients are the ones  that hired you to help them meet that impossible deadline that they didn’t know was a ton more work than they ever imagined?

Still, I’m not sure if it’s entirely the client’s fault for being this way.  I think it might be a mix of both client and specialist.  Clients tend to oversimplify and over-trivialize anything to make it something they can feel confident about so they don’t get taken advantage of.

What is true is this.

It is hard to make the complex simple, and easy to make the simple into something more complex.

Would we second guess or suggest doctors do something differently, or that engineers build a bridge differently (and without a plan) because we feel it shouldn’t be complicated?  I don’t know.

This leads back to the oft-referred issue of what color to paint the bike shed.

Why? Well, the less you involve and empower your clients, the more they will feel your craft is a magical dark science.  Of course, I’m the first guy to say I want to build systems and tools for people, not BE the system and tool through which they maintain their systems.  So, I’m forever doomed to try and involve clients as much as they would like to be and educate them.  It is already a luxury to feel understood by anyone, and it’s nice when you clients are able to join you if they so wish.

With that being said, I have a responsibility to first learn, and then demonstrate that I understand the needs of my client and how to best solve them in the way that best serves the client.  Maintaining or enhancing the clients competitive advantage is critical. It’s not about making my life easier, it’s about making life easier for my clients, and their clients.  This rings very true even when working on a startup.

I get it.  I’m pretty good at what I do and can reasonably be thrown down a well and come out okay.  Do I make it look easy?  I don’t know.  I have 15 years of experience and 4 vacations to show for it.  I read 2-3 hours a day on technologies and problem solving approaches.  I keep the saw sharp and keep busy sawing.  All to keep my value high to myself and the projects I work on, and to ensure my clients receive the best possible outcome.

Still, I hear, “well, can’t you just do this”.  I have accepted that this on some levels will always be the case.  I think helping clients understand that what I can do in 1 hour is only possible after 15 years of experience doing what I do, and that 1 hour of their time, while likely very valuable in the needs requirement of it, likely would not compare, must like I would be lost in their business.

I think I am going to explore the idea of “highest and best use” and incorporating that in to my working philosophy on all projects.  When we focus on everyone’s highest and best use and simply keep our nose out (or in) no more or less than it’s needed, it’s where 1 + 1 = 11 in terms of gains in productivity.

I put a lot of time on my 15″ Macbook Pro.  An average of 8-10 hours a day.  Every day.  The last 3 years since I switched back to Mac (since we all started on Apples in elementary school) have been incredible.  No longer have I been tied up dealing with Windows to do the smallest things like connect a new camera to get a photo to fight with drivers.  For the most part Mac just works, gets out of the way and let’s you focus on the task at hand.

Then, there was the day the music died.  November 16th, 2009, for me, to be exact.  I remember it, like it was yesterday.  I am working at the office, no problems.  Arrive at a clients, and the screen won’t turn on.  Try to reboot, no luck.  Everything seems to be turning on, except the screen.  Strange.

The HP/Compaq technician in me from the late 90’s speaks up and tells me this might be that nasty Nvidia chip failure affecting the Santa Rosa Macbook Pros, which I own.  But was it?  I’ve seen a video card or twenty fail in my life and its usually a graceful fit of annoying colors, lines, pixels not showing correctly that leads to an eventual death.

A screen just to go black with that?  I didn’t even get to say goodbye, or try to copy off my latest working files. What would I do if I didn’t have a recent backup?

Enter AppleCare.  You see, for years I was happy that Compaq (and then HP when they acquired Compaq) had nearly the world’s best extended warranty. They did, and likely still are very high.    AppleCare, I had heard was another beast.

I get on the phone and get booked into my local Apple store with an appointment 60 minutes later.  Total fluke, as they’re always booked up.  It was a cool feeling walking in and seeing my name as the next customer in line.  It was even cooler as the Apple concierge wondered how I hacked myself to the top of the list without having been in the store.  Nothing an AppleCare rep can’t put you on hold and get done, I guess.

After speaking with the knowledgeable rep, they ordered me a new system board.  Problem, I’m leaving town 2 days later.  They manage to pull it off and I make it rain chocolates at the store.  Everything is back and running.

Until it died again.  I got the dreaded spinning wheel on grey screen.  I felt like throwing my laptop into the water, pulling it out, and then throwing it in again.  But I didn’t.  Called AppleCare and they tried to help.  No luck.

On my way back to Edmonton, I was in Vancouver for the day.  I stopped by the AppleCare store and they had the part I needed.  And they would change it for me before my flight left!  Two flukes?  I doubt it.  There’s no way this kind of service is to be expected or reasonable, but I’m so glad they stepped up.

I’m tired, and fly back home. The repaired laptop awaits it’s glorious return to productivity. I turn it on in the next morning.  Same problem.  Did someone forget to turn on the computer fully?

My heart sank, to the bottom of my feet.  I could have just bought another Macbook Pro, smashed this one up, made a video for Youtube and mailed it to Apple stating I couldn’t handle 2 bad system board replacements in addition to my original failure.

I called AppleCare like someone might call an counseling hotline.  I spoke of the great help I received, but the poor results.  Brian, my original contact, quickly escalated me to a senior adviser.  He took a few minutes to read everything I had endured and at this point likely noticed I should have been screaming and foaming from the mouth, but wasn’t.  He got how frustrated and let down, and paralyzed I was.  Running a backup of your mac on a mac mini isn’t the same.  Yes, I didn’t lose anything, but I wasn’t gaining either.

The senior advisor said I had gone through enough.  He wanted to heal my shattered heart with the warmth of a replacement machine. I was skeptical.  I told him I had been hurt before.  What if this replacement had issues because it was the new macbook?  I might be crazy to turn down new equipment, but I like what I have and it works well.  He assured me he felt comfortable reccomending it so I decided to take the plunge to a new Macbook Pro, at a reasonable cost.

Now I wait.  Hurry up China.