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Recently, two guys contacted me and asked me to build their mobile app. They have a brand new concept and want an app quickly.

I told them that I need some user stories and some specifications by example in order to accurately know what they expect from the app and to be able to make an estimate of the tasks and delay (front + back).

They respond: "It's up to you to make the specification, YOU are the developer... We know nothing about coding you know? If you ask some questions about functional behavior, YOU have to ask us. We explained you the concept, now we have to wait for the app you would build"

What to think about this? Should I help them to specify what the app should do ?" Isn't it risky to work for a customer that doesn't know what exactly the app should behave regarding several use cases?

Mik378
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    If they can only vaguely explain features and ideas then you as the developer are playing a risky game. If you split their features into stories then you should have the customer review all the stories to make sure it meets their expectations before you implement a single thing. Otherwise you are guessing and probably guessing wrong. Most customers struggle to define what they want, but they are excellent at defining what they DON'T want. This is you essentially wearing a Business Analyst hat for them. – maple_shaft Jun 01 '16 at 11:57
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    This not a duplicate question at all. In that linked question, the dev's have poor specs. In this question, the client is asking the lone coder to write the specs. These clients might have zero problem being walked through all the specs/story creation tasks, they just can't do that up front without help from the coder. Answers here could focus on HOW the coder can creates specs/stories with clients given that there's no BA involved, with notes about contracts, estimates, risks, etc. – Graham Jun 01 '16 at 12:10

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