> Experience tells us that the rare cases where it does are vastly outweighed by the cases where they do not.
I do not agree with this.
My experience does not match this. As I tell my clients regularly, "Yes, I spent one day implementing that feature. But I spent 4 days talking to your folks trying to figure out what you actually needed, and 3 more days getting ready for what they are about to ask for."
Startup folks are fond of thinking that they have to move too fast for thinking or they are going bankrupt. That's rarely true. And, if it is, you're probably hosed anyway.
I do not agree with this.
My experience does not match this. As I tell my clients regularly, "Yes, I spent one day implementing that feature. But I spent 4 days talking to your folks trying to figure out what you actually needed, and 3 more days getting ready for what they are about to ask for."
Startup folks are fond of thinking that they have to move too fast for thinking or they are going bankrupt. That's rarely true. And, if it is, you're probably hosed anyway.