Design It!

Talk to the Right People

Stakeholders usually, but not always, have a business interest in the software. They might pay for the software or directly profit from it. Users are important stakeholders but so too are the people who build and maintain the system. Other people might not even realize how our software might affect them, but it’s sometimes necessary to consider their concerns as well.

In the wild, stakeholders rarely travel alone. We use the term stakeholder group to highlight this fact. Working with groups is different than working with individuals. Two people from the same stakeholder group can provide inconsistent or conflicting information. We must work to understand the whole group’s concerns and sometimes even help them reach consensus. ...