Keywords: sdccman

# 6.8 Some Questions

Some questions answered, some pointers given - it might be time to in turn ask you some questions:

- can you solve your project with the selected microcontroller? Would you find out early or rather late that your target is too small/slow/whatever? Can you switch to a slightly better device if it doesn't fit?
- should you solve the problem with an 8 bit CPU? Or would a 16/32 bit CPU and/or another programming language be more adequate? Would an operating system on the target device help?
- if you solved the problem, will the marketing department be happy?
- if the marketing department is happy, will customers be happy?
- if you're the project manager, marketing department and maybe even the customer in one person, have you tried to see the project from the outside?
- is the project done if you think it is done? Or is just that other interface/protocol/feature/configuration/option missing? How about website, manual(s), internationali(z|s)ation, packaging, labels, 2nd source for components, electromagnetic compatability/interference, documentation for production, production test software, update mechanism, patent issues?
- is your project adequately positioned in that magic triangle: fame, fortune, fun?

Maybe not all answers to these questions are known and some answers may even be no, nevertheless knowing these questions may help you to avoid burnout6.1. Chances are you didn't want to hear some of them...