Pricing on Purpose
In my role as a project estimator, it is common to see people viewing cost constraints as a primary part of the challenge Imagineers must solve. What I think some miss is how cost limits can themselves be instrumental in producing creative solutions.
This can be as simple as making the blank sheet of paper a known size so the blue sky ideas can flow. It can be the knowledge that a previous design can’t be reused, so new and fresh ideas must be produced.
I’ve seen cost constraints motivate the team to produce a solution that looks better and lasts longer than the “real thing”—the status quo choice if costs weren’t being considered.
Not earthshaking, but who else might say this if not an estimator?
(The Imagineers, 2003: 128)