We do quality outsource development for usual web/mobile stuff (yeah, it exists).
80% of our job is helping clients to figure out what do they actually need and what's reasonable to implement given current state of tech, finding that balance between ideal and realistic software, or rather negotiating it.
So expecting client to write SOWs/specifications is like expecting client to write code.
Aha, actually, I've recently seen it quite few times: people send me detailed SOW which look good, but once I try to read them to actually create an understanding of the domain logic/program in my head — it does not make any sense.
Very close to the grand-grand-parent comment about mentoring junior programmers. Now imagine they are the one paying you!
I’d argue with software that the level of detail you need to specify to do a successful SOW is so much work you’d might as well then just do the dev work too.
It also cuts against all trends of iterative development in that it is like waterfall with a gun to your head to get the spec 1000% right.
80% of our job is helping clients to figure out what do they actually need and what's reasonable to implement given current state of tech, finding that balance between ideal and realistic software, or rather negotiating it.
So expecting client to write SOWs/specifications is like expecting client to write code.
Aha, actually, I've recently seen it quite few times: people send me detailed SOW which look good, but once I try to read them to actually create an understanding of the domain logic/program in my head — it does not make any sense.
Very close to the grand-grand-parent comment about mentoring junior programmers. Now imagine they are the one paying you!