Once you’re labeled as a consultant, it’s hard to escape the industry. I can’t go anywhere without being asked computer questions. I receive computer questions everywhere, including at parties, family gatherings, church, the gym, restaurants, airports, and doctors’ offices (as a patient!). Consultants must embrace the “geekiness” and develop enthusiasm for those having tech interest and questions. Otherwise, I fear consultants may become bitter and resent the relentless intrusion on their personal lives.
Sometimes, being a consultant in IT feels a bit like being a magician:
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Other times it’s akin to falling down an endless-stack recursive rabbit hole
I believe in Humphrey’s “Law” that customers don’t know what they want until after the system is in production (maybe not even then). Complex problems aren’t fully understood in the beginning on paper. Quick iterations and prototype testing in the wild often raise important, unforeseen issues hidden by complexity and false assumptions. I really love Henrik Kniberg’s post on how his kids won a Lego robot competition by using an iterative design/build/test approach and going against common trends.