With any project, there are three areas that really matter: the available budget, the available time, and the desired quality. Anyone who tells you that they can deliver high-quality, at low cost, in a short timeframe, with all the bells & whistles... is lying! (or at the very least, their idea of quality is probably different to yours). The fact is, you only ever get to control two of those three things at any one time. It's a fundamental, universal law - ignore it at your peril!

We expect promos and newsreels that look and sound as good as those produced by Hollywood, yet we expect these to be produced for free, and by yesterday.

If you want it delivered fast, then you may need to accept some compromises in the quality or functionality, or else be prepared to pay a premium for additional skilled resources to get the job done faster - but beware... adding more people to a job (especially a software project) sometimes will not get it completed any faster.

The reality is, we (on both sides of the commercial equation - the buyer and the seller) need to be aware of this fact, and plan accordingly. This is one of the main reasons why I prefer to quote on a fixed price basis rather than by time. Otherwise, too much energy is spent watching the clock, rather than delivering a great product.