Ingredients vs. Stew

A friend just told me a version of an often heard story in tech. Her marketing company built a site without the ability to track key metrics of the ads. The tech people responded, “It wasn’t in the specs,” which may be technically accurate, but is not comforting or productive.

I think a lot of projects like that fail for a reason that can be described in this metaphor: The tech people make water, beef, and tomatoes in a pot. And if you ask them what they make, they say, “water, beef, and tomatoes in a pot.” The business people want stew.

You need to make sure that everyone on the team knows that you are making stew and that someone is responsible for ensuring that happens. Unfortunately, that person has to be tri-lingual, speaking marketing, tech, and English.