Client Requirements

"Software development companies with an idea for a software product will often look for a client who is willing to finance the production of the software which will then be sold to as many of the client’s competitors as possible. If the client can be persuaded to pay full price, then so much the better. To secure the deal, the developer may offer a discount. The client probably realises that they are funding a project that will not only benefit them, but also their competitors. Perhaps they trust a non-disclosure agreement with the developer to safeguard their interests. This trust may prove to be misplaced. As development proceeds, there are sure to be times when the client says to the developer, thinking about it, we now want the software to do this or that (specific requirements). Unless this fits with the developer’s own product strategy, the client is likely to be told, no that cannot be done. It would be a rash or arrogant developer who then says, it cannot be done because it does not fit with our development strategy, though I have personally heard these words spoken in a client-developer meeting. If the client is paying for it, they are entitled to get what they are paying for. If the developer wants to go in a different direction, they should do it at their own expense, on their time."