Yes, it is finance! Prop trading more specifically.
We could set up milestones such as (1) implement this exchange interface with this latency or (2) implement this trading algo with this latency but really none of that matters if you don't make money in the end. In fact you don't want people to focus too much on that. You don't really know what is important. Maybe latency really isn't very important. Maybe it is the most important factor.
I like the idea of letting them choose but my point is that they will choose to stay where they are unless you say that they can have their current compensation but then saying you get the same bonus you got last year regardless of how this new project works out defeats the incentive nature of having a bonus. Of course they would take that deal as they get the same amount as they would and there is some chance it will work out and they get more.
We could set up milestones such as (1) implement this exchange interface with this latency or (2) implement this trading algo with this latency but really none of that matters if you don't make money in the end. In fact you don't want people to focus too much on that. You don't really know what is important. Maybe latency really isn't very important. Maybe it is the most important factor.
I like the idea of letting them choose but my point is that they will choose to stay where they are unless you say that they can have their current compensation but then saying you get the same bonus you got last year regardless of how this new project works out defeats the incentive nature of having a bonus. Of course they would take that deal as they get the same amount as they would and there is some chance it will work out and they get more.