Not in the Budget

So, I get a call from a design house that needs something done, for which they have no expertise. Additionally, they have already set a budget for the work (with no idea how much time it will take to complete) and they come to us.

Them: "Please code out this section of the site that connects to a third party vendor"

Me: "Based on reviewing your spec, the requirements, and your timeline, this is how much it will cost."

Them: "That's not in our budget, can you do it for less"

Me: "No, this is what it will take for us to build it and fully test it. If we do it in less time we will bill you for actual - If, however scope increases the cost will also increase".

So, why am I writing this? Because I have these questions...

1. How can you possibly offer a project budget for which you have a huge portion you have no idea how to complete?

2. Why are you asking me to bail you out?

3. How would you respond if I called you and said, "I need 5 web concepts, I told the customer you would do it as a donation, that's OK right?"

Apple = Disney, Droid=Universal

End the Holy War please.

There are many more things we should all be worrying about besides how much the latest iPhone or the latest Droid device rules or sucks.

My quick observation is Apple=Disney - the standard. An empire built on quality and control which is often emulated by others.

Droid is more like Universal - edgy, the anti-Disney, trying to establish itself not so much by what it is, but what it is not.

This is an age old "battle" and frankly tiring - neither are going away - let's just hope it motivates them both to create awesome products.