This week I've received a collabouration request on a project (a web based project, remake of an old application) from a new IT company made up from my two ex co-workers. I've met one of the managers of the company and he talked me about the new company program and their ambitions on the market... he was really enthusiastic and ambitious.
I'm really busy with my work in this period (we've a big project that is on a releasing stage in these days) but I've decided to give a view to this offer, expecially because they're friends and because I could work to this project by myself at home during my free time (not too much 
).
I was waiting for an email where the project must be well described to me and after 5 days I've received the email. In summary, this was the email content: Check the old project at this address, with this login an password, and make a new version. 
What???? I have to understood the project only by viewing a web page as a normal user? But where is the requirements analysis?
When I've to start a new project I think that requirements analysis is a foundamental step. I'm a big fan of what is normally called "Joint Application Development" or JAD. In summary, I think that the application development must be performed with the conjunction of tecnicians (such as developers), that knows how the aplication must be written and what tecnologies must be adopted, and users of the applications, that knows exactly how the application must work and what must be performed.
A good IT system in my opinion must always be a union of a human component (users) and a tecnical component (develpers). Starting a new project without these phases is surely not a good start.
Obviously, I've exposed my point of view to this "IT managers" and I hope for them that the things will change for their next projects or I can't see a great future for their new company. 