Different expectations

As IT professionals, we often find ourselves deeply immersed in the technical details of our work — debugging, optimizing, and solving complex problems. In that process, it’s easy to forget that our ultimate purpose isn’t simply to crack the puzzle in front of us. The real goal extends far beyond the code.

Most of the time, programmers join a project not at its inception but somewhere along its journey. We contribute to systems that already have a history — products shaped by business objectives, user expectations, and design decisions made long before we arrived. The results of our work rarely stop with us. They flow downstream: to other departments, to end users, and sometimes even to our customers’ customers.

Each of these stakeholders views the software through a different lens. They don’t just expect it to perform as specified; they expect it to matter. They look for software that makes their work easier, their processes smoother, and their outcomes better. Our challenge, then, is not only to solve the technical problems but to understand the human and business contexts that give those problems meaning.

In the end, great software is not defined by how elegantly it runs, but by how effectively it serves the people who depend on it.

Let’s imagine that as a software company Code&Run we develop an e-shop for a large vegetable seller – let’s call it Cabbage&Onion. It’s a big company with its own IT department. The new e-shop will be operated in the cloud, as it is now modern. The e-shop is functionally comprehensive, with connections to other Cabbage&Onion systems. Therefore, it was divided into separate modules, microapplications.

So who will have to do with our e-shop and what can they expect?

Code&Run	Management	The development will take place before the deadline and with a minimum of errors.
	Analysts & SW Architects	The e-shop will be programmed in accordance with defined requirements (e.g. the buttons will be of the color specified in the documentation and no other).
	Software engineers	Clear documentation, simple launch of the necessary services (ideally none) so that they can complete their task.
	System administrators	Accurate and simple installation procedures, documentation for confiuration.
	Testers	Clear documentation, unambiguous behavior of the e-shop, the possibility to easily simulate all states as in a real system.
	Customer support	Accurate description of errors, user and system identifiers in reports submitted by the customer.
Cabbage&Onion	Management	Speeding up the processing of orders. The e-shop will be launched at the agreed time and for the agreed amount.
	Sales department	Understanding and implementation of internal processes. Improvement of services provided to customers and suppliers.
	IT department	Accurate and simple installation procedures, documentation of configuration. Clear and understandable reports of the application about its status, running processes and errors.
	Testers	A minimum of errors and fast delivery of repairs. The possibility to trace changes in the system.
	Customer support	Record changes in the system and the ability to document user activities.
E-shop users	Suppliers	Simple and clear UI, fast responses even when processing a large amount of data. Quick processing of complaints and no unnecessary bothering with questions – let Cabbage&Onion handle the problems.
	Small customers	Simple and clear UI. Quick processing of complaints and no unnecessary bothering with questions – let Cabbage&Onion handle the problems.

As we’ve seen, expectations can vary greatly depending on one’s perspective. Meeting all of them is one of the core responsibilities of any IT professional — yet doing so can often feel like trying to balance competing priorities. How can we possibly satisfy such diverse, and at times contradictory, requirements?

Fortunately, there’s more common ground than it might seem. In most cases, it doesn’t take a complete overhaul of how we work — just a small shift in mindset. By taking a step back, opening our perspective, and viewing our work through the eyes of others, we can often make a surprisingly large impact.