Five Why’s

By Karam

I’m sure it’s not a software engineering specific idea but when trying to define requirements there is this idea that if you keep asking the customer why they want that requirement you can actually find out what they are really looking for. One usually arrives at the desired answer by the fifth Why? Of course you do run the risk of really annoying the customer but they often do get used to it and understand the process.

I’ve never applied that principle to myself when trying to discern why I am doing something. During the recent podcast with Tom Ford he applied to same principle to ask a second time why we Seamus and I were going for the record. No doubt if he had had more time he might have made it to 5 why’s!

I know that I don’t yet have the answers. Part of the process is the search for the answers and to accept that I might never discover a true Why. Mainly because I don’t think life is that static and the ebs and flows of daily existence bring different requirements at different times. Fixation of a single Why would lead to missed opportunities and likely disappointment.

I’m now building a list of Why’s and at any given time, if asked, I’ll answer based on a random number generator. Seems equally valid although I would despair if a customer applied the same approach!

So, why am I doing this WR attempt? Answer: 42.