A carpenter, a plumber and an electrician meet the home buyer at his empty lot.  The buyer shows them a picture of the home he wants built.  He describes how wonderful the house will be and speaks passionately of how happy his family will be when they move into their new home.

If the buyer asks these three highly skilled craftsmen to build his new home, what are the odds that they will successfully deliver his dream?

Exactly zero. 

Why?  Who’s missing here? 

Two people, actually: the architect and the general contractor.  The skills to build are present but the planning, design, and project supervision have been skipped.  This project is not positioned for success.  The buyer should have no confidence that his dream house will get delivered. 

What really happens if a buyer tries to have a home built this way?  The craftsmen know better and go back to their trucks, muttering unmentionables regarding the buyer’s IQ.  Their next stop will be a site where a general contractor can show them a set of plans – a blueprint for success that allows them to work their valuable craft and get paid for a job well done.

What often happens on software projects when a buyer wants a new software application?  They ask a carpenter (contract programmer) to give them an estimate on the project.  The programmer, excited by the large contract, rarely gets in his truck and leaves.  Instead, he guesses at the obvious tasks and gets started.  Weeks or months later, both he and the buyer conclude that working on a project without a written specification (blueprint) is too painful and one or both of them walk away. 

An easy way to introduce planning and architecture into a project is to ask your buyer friend “Who is preparing the blueprint?”  The blank stare is an excellent moment to introduce someone you know that specializes in producing plans for software projects.  Clarity inspires confidence.  This is something both the builder and buyer want as they begin a complex project.