The client is the Best Programmer

“The customer is always right” is a classic premise that, in the world of digital development, acquires an important and, at the same time, subjective weight. At times, I have reflected internally that it is not simply about what the client wants, but how I interpret it. Also, I assume that debugging the code will be my responsibility and not yours. However, our clients think in terms of functionality; They don't care or understand how the solutions we create work. I believe that we grow professionally by being able to combine what the client needs with what we can achieve thanks to our knowledge.

From a developer's point of view, working with clients who propose innovative ideas can be an exciting challenge. These clients often have a clear vision of what they want to achieve, which can be a great source of inspiration. However, it can also present technical challenges, as these innovative ideas often require creative and out-of-the-box solutions. In these cases, it is essential that the programmer is willing to leave his or her comfort zone and explore new technologies and approaches to achieve the desired goal.

Throughout my experience, I have learned to value those clients who propose innovative ideas. This is because we, as developers, don't fully understand the dynamics of your business until we start building use cases and evaluating your needs. Our mission is to offer solutions that solve your problems, improve your response times, streamline your operations and, ultimately, generate more wealth, because in the end, that is what matters. What we offer is a service that, therefore, has a subjective economic value.

I have had clients deliver me practically finished work, with precise instructions on the flow of information and the presentation of results. In those cases, all that remains is to make a few small adjustments and program. Personally, I can't design anything without a flowchart. It is the first thing I do before writing the first line of code, since it determines what my next steps will be and allows me to visualize how I am progressing in the development of the project, which is especially important when working in a team.

In conclusion, it can be said with certainty that the client is the best programmer. Before starting a project, and even before developing use cases, it is crucial to understand their needs and have informal conversations about the aspects they expect to be covered. We become better professionals when we listen with a positive attitude and open to possibilities. We must promise less than we are capable of delivering, but always seek to give a little more than what was promised, because that is what drives us to do what we do: passion for our work.