435
-eth
7y

Boss: I need you to start on this new project, how long will it take?

Me: well, hard to say with no specs whatsoever...

Boss: just your best guess

Me: 4 to 6 month I guess?

Boss: so 3 months it is. When can you start?

Me: no specs, sir...and I said 4 to 6

Boss: the specs are almost ready, I know you can simplify it

Me: ...

Boss: just start with the basic infrastructure already

(4 months later)

Boss: here you are the specs, they might change a little in behaviour and design, but all the main stuff is here

(Hands me a A3 with a total of 21 pictures in InDesign)

Me: o....Kay. what happens when I click here?

Boss: oh, we should still talk about the app workflow, I'll get you updated

(2 weeks and 16 total rewrites of the "specs" later)

Boss: you told me it was a 2 months job, why aren't you finished yet? We must deploy in 3 weeks!

Me: ...

Comments
  • 78
    Block headed people are the worst to deal with.
  • 33
    This has become commonplace for me.

    So have the words No Refunds and Site Is Down, when push comes to shove
  • 11
    story of my life
  • 10
    Thank you all.
    I know I am not alone.
    And I know that even if I quit, I would get the very same routine somewhere else.

    Makes me feel a lot less frustrated.
  • 6
    @-eth I know of people that claim to know people that work in a less toxic environment.
    But if you ask these people (the last category) about their jobs they will tell you the same tale and start complaining.
  • 12
    why are you using hashtags in the tags ? πŸ€”
  • 19
    That was basically my chat today....

    B: When can u build this tool
    M: 5 days
    *Afternoon*
    B: We need this tomorrow
    M: Great I sent out a few questions to clarify what you want
    B: OK so here's kinda what I was expecting....
    M: But this morning you told me you wanted....
    B: OK so can you do it tomorrow? here are the new specs
    M: but clearly if these were the specs... i shouldve spent all day doing X not Y... and we should've used language A not B...
    B: OK need a some report tomorrow... just make it happen

    M: OK... Excel it is

    wtf did i just spend today doing... ?
  • 2
    @SHA-256 because, noob
  • 5
    The struggle is real πŸ˜‚πŸ˜­
  • 4
    In our project we write the code first by referring to customer documents/email communication & then the specs are written ... Its damn irritating 😑
  • 1
    I fucking hate it when this happens πŸ˜’
  • 12
    @inventor1993 here we avoid even mails, since it can be used as a proof of request. Everything gets just discussed orally, and someone blamed for not having understood the request (or, more often, just to say "I never said that").
    I usually drop a mail after every conversation stating what I will be doing, as a written reminder...
  • 0
    @rtannerf sometimes I think I'd rather learn COBOL than deal with this...
  • 4
    I believe the tech savvy should be ones in charge. Or atleast the tech-savvy should always advise the bean counters.
  • 4
    I usualy solve this by saying X months from official spec. no spec, no timeframe, no work start.
  • 1
    @magicMirror i've tried. On several occasion. The answer has always been "you know how things work here"
  • 0
  • 3
    @-eth In that case, they are used to missing deadlines, and wrong estimates. document everything, and make sure your CV is up to date.
  • 1
    How are these companies financially? I can't imagine them doing well, nor lasting a long time.
  • 0
    @Rabb they are (very) good financially. But they are embracing a large change. They brought software development inside the company for a time too short to have the knowledge and the experience to manage it. They should wake up or they will be force to outsource it back in a couple of year
  • 2
    You should fire your boss.. out of a motherfucking cannon.

    Being asked a timeframe is tough when it's a large project even when you've got the specs..
  • 1
    @Jellyg00se the company CEO is able to fit what he refers to as specs in the same sentence he asks for when will it be ready
  • 2
    @-eth CEO? doesn't that stand for calculated evolutionary orange? Maybe he's coming out of hibernation and doesn't realise how dry he is
  • 0
    sounds just like a bad dream.. and this really happened??
  • 2
    Definition of Ready - not even once.
  • 0
    Yeah. The good old specs thing. I haven't worked on a single project that had.proper specs since I work in this company. The best thing are the designed screens, but usually we just work based on the offer that was made to the customer.
  • 1
    Ever watched the movie Get Out?
  • 1
    @sylar nope should I give it a try?
  • 1
  • 1
    Same here. Welcome aboard!
  • 0
    @A-0-C this particular one is pointy-haired
  • 7
    Been there, done that.
    I had a startup which I had to close down due to this kind of behaviour from every client.
    I got fed up with this and joined a product based company. Here every decision is taken by programmers or past programmers. They write everything down and defend their stance.
    I sometimes think that I died and this is how a paradise looks. Then I get to deal with those dumb sales people who don't even know what are they selling.
  • 2
    @creator in my first company, more or less​ same condition we had. Sales people agree to any stupid requirements sometimes and if we can't deliver, we get to listen from sales team that "we work hard to bring business and you guys spoil it because you can't complete the task."
  • 0
    true..sad.. story.
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