Scott Weinstein
for NYCC Webmaster

1. Two years and over $73,748 spent on a "Membership App" that still hasn't materialized.

There's no public visibility to the app-under-development; only a select few have been able to try it. And despite a recent project update, there's still no launch date.

2. Expensive contractors with misaligned interests

The board used outside consultants as the lead engineers on the project.

External consultants have no stake in NYCC's success; they get paid whether the project succeeds or fails, further they have every incentive to drag out development and, in the past, made it difficult for NYCC engineers to contribute.

3. Development approach and timeline concerns

Building without user feedback has led to predictable challenges. After two years, the project shows 34 of 55 features complete (62%) with 80% of budget spent. At this pace, completion could extend into late 2026.

Limited testing access prevents early discovery of issues and missing requirements. Software complexity naturally increases near completion—features conflict, bug fixes create new bugs, and user testing reveals needs not originally envisioned. This suggests we need an approach that embraces user feedback from the start.

4. I'm not the only one who thinks these challenges are significant

At least four software engineers in the club took time and effort to review the "Membership App" and it was clear to us that the current effort needs significant change. We wanted to help, but without board support, there was no path forward to assist.

5. The club needs in-house engineering support

A site that the software engineers in the club are disinterested in working on is a site that will decay or be a constant drain of club's finances. In contrast, a site that the club's software engineers have designed and built will be more likely to succeed and evolve with the needs of its users.