On the eve of insanity

So we're sitting in a phonecon with a potential customer.

First, let's explore the phrase "potential customer". Potential - commonly defined as (thanks to Mirriam-Webster) "commonly existing in possibility" or "capable of development into actuality" -- so when thinking of a potential customer, this is not someone who is currently (or in actuality) a customer, but one who has the ability to become one in the future. In other words - we have no money yet.

Anyway, this is like round 9 million with these people -- they haven't firmly fleshed out exactly what they want their system to do. In fact, every time they talk to us, they get new ideas (from us) of things that they should include. Did I mention we have no contract at all with these people yet? Why are we giving them our ideas?? Anyway, since this is the case, they also have very, very, very, very (ad nauseum) loosely defined requirements. In fact, I'll go so far as to say what they really have are potential requirements. (see above for definitions of potential that would be useful in understanding this.)

They also want a demo.

A demo of what their system will do.

A demo they can use to sell their system.

Even though they really couldn't tell you, in clear, concise sentences, what it is their system should do.

Anyone else see an issue here?

Needless to say, everytime we talk to them two things happen: 1) We give them new ideas and 2) everything I've done up to this point on the demo becomes completely worthless and I end up back at square one. Ok, I might've exaggerated that a little....

Square 1.5.

So now I'm back to the demo drawing board, armed with my new "requirements" to try and knock something together that we can show them next week. Oh yeah. I'm out of town tomorrow. Monday is a holiday. I love short deadlines. Really. No, I do. For real.

Or not.

All I can say is they better go ahead and hire us or I'm going to scream for a few weeks. Right in their ears. Until I see that they're as annoyed with me as I am with them right now.