How are you defining “commitment” with your customers?

When we talk about commitment, we’re either talking about a promise to deliver something specific, usually on a specific date, or we’re talking about the level of personal investment we’re putting into building the thing. We get into trouble when we allow our customers to define commitment for us, because they’ll always choose the former definition. But as software developers, we view commitment as something else. We’re committed to doing the best we can to deliver great software. We’re committed to our craft, we’re going all the way. This doesn’t always line up with the definition of commitment our customers have in their head. Have a conversation with your customer about what “commitment” and “being committed” means.