[Sigia-l] Gordom Ramsey consulting?

[Hassan Schroeder]

Peter Van Dijck wrote:

> So I just want to open an discussion around this. Can/should consultants be
> more like a good, local, affordable eatery, with local ingredients well
> prepared, instead of the expensive 3-star restaurant that we often try to
> be? It also relates to the financial crisis that's happening, as we all
> remember from last time: the consultants are the first to go.

I've been doing web consulting as an independent since 1996, and it's
never failed to both amuse and annoy me that so frequently a company
will have a project that I could do easily and quickly for $N -- and
decide to spend *10-20 times* the money and substantially more time
to have it done by a "name brand" consulting company.

And in none of those cases where I was able to track the result was
the outcome better. More PowerPoint presentations and more multi-page
PDF reports generated, certainly, more "deliverables" concocted, but
not ever a better application or site developed.

And I'm certain it's just an updated version of the old "no one ever
got fired for buying IBM" syndrome, but the reservoir of CYA-focused
pointy-haired middle managers is deep and enduring.

Will the current economic climate change that? I doubt it -- but I'd
be happy to discover otherwise. :-)

-- 
Hassan Schroeder ----------------------------- hassan at webtuitive.com
Webtuitive Design ===  (+1) 408-621-3445   === http://webtuitive.com

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