When you’re looking to engage in a design or development project, it’s imperative to know and disclose your constraints. This applies to both the vendor and the client. When you ask for a table at a restaurant (without a reservation) they give you an approximate wait time: this is the vendor’s lead time. When you sit down at lunch, the waiter may ask if you need to be back at the office soon: this is the client’s deadline. The restaurant should not seat you, show you the menu, and take your order only to ask you to wait outside for two hours. By the same token, when you arrive at the restaurant you should be clear if you’re interested in the quality of food served here, or just looking for a meal within the next few minutes. There’s usually a good reason all the best restaurants have a long wait…