The cowboys of the 21st Century
Copy, paste and cutting corners
For some reason I have this vivid memory where I came home from school one day to find my Dad grouting the porch. I asked him where the labourer was who he had originally hired to do it. Apparently he wasn’t doing a very job and my Dad decided to let him go. He was a bit of a cowboy.
It wasn’t the first time I’d hear of this, as the usual trick seemed to be to take a large lump sum of money, show all the commitment and quality, to then suddenly vanish for a day or two at a time. Stress levels then increase as every excuse under the sun comes out. From the weather to family issues, to a lack of material or waiting for a good price.
A juggling act
However we all know what the story is, you have to have another job lined up for when the current finishes, and manage your cash flow to be able to keep things going. It’s not easy being an entrepreneur, especially as a manual labourer.
But now there’s a new breed of cowboys, who also build things for you. Who also oversell and underdeliver. Who may leave you feeling ripped off and with something that isn’t exactly as planned.
Programmers.
