You know the old story—the one where someone, usually with a tortured expression, says, “No matter what I say, don’t let me out of this room.” It’s a clear warning. They know what’s coming. And yet, when the full moon rises, the pleading begins.
In custom software development, we’ve seen our fair share of this scenario—except the transformation isn’t from human to werewolf, but from budget-conscious customer to feature-hungry visionary.
At the start of a project, and sometimes in a consultation call, we often hear: “We have a strict budget. We can’t go beyond it.” We nod, take notes, and scope the project accordingly. Everything is planned to fit within the constraints. But then, the full moon rises—or, in our case, the excitement of seeing a project take shape. That’s when the claws come out.
“You know, it would be great if we could add real-time reporting.”
“What if this also integrated with our inventory system?”
“Could we just make a few tweaks to the UI to match our rebrand?”
These requests aren’t unreasonable—after all, software should evolve to meet business needs. But here’s the quandary: We were explicitly told not to open the door. The budget was the silver bullet that kept the werewolf at bay. What do we do now?
Taming the Transformation
At J Street Technology, we handle these moments with a blend of understanding and discipline. We know that mid-project inspiration is natural. Seeing software come to life can spark new ideas and possibilities. But our job is to ensure that inspiration doesn’t derail the project.
Here’s how we handle the Werewolf Quandary:
1. Acknowledge the Excitement
We don’t shut down ideas outright. We want customers to feel heard and valued.
2. Refer Back to the Budget
We remind customers of the original constraints and discuss what makes the most sense.
3. Offer Phased Development
Not everything has to happen now. Core functionality comes first and added features, second.
4. Use a Change Request Process
We keep things transparent. Any new feature or enhancement is documented with estimates and approvals before moving forward. No surprises.
By handling these situations with care, we help our clients stay on track while still making room for innovation.
The Moral of the Story
If you’re a customer working with a development team (like us), remember: It’s okay to have new ideas. But also recognize that mid-project changes have consequences—just like opening that locked door under the full moon.
And if you’re a software developer? Keep the silver bullets handy and always expect a little howling when the project starts to come to life.
