You Have to Feel It

You see a series of checkboxes checked. Schedules met. Requirements satisfied. Demos delivered. It's a good day. Good job, you, good job! A promotion is in sight.

But you didn't feel it. You didn't feel it.

We, as people, feel something with every interaction. Frustration, joy, relief, confidence. A feeling. A person interacts with our work. Our work evokes a feeling. The feeling matters. The feeling is part of the work. The desired feeling is part of the requirements.

When you feel it, you know. The feature makes you smile when you use it. It fits right in, like it was always meant to be there. You want to use it again. You want to tell people about it.

This is the difference. This is what metrics, specifications, and demos miss. They don't capture the feeling. For the people who will use and live in the work, the feeling is part of their daily experience. Which means you can't stop at checking the boxes on paper. You have to sit with it, use it, live with it.

You have to feel it.