>You're quite right though.. I've seen fear of change ruin more projects then just about anything else.

Fear of a less than adequate delivery will also destroy it. If the users don't have confidence in what you are going to do for them, they will bail. User's seem to discriminate between a can-do-type and no-can-do-type by the questions we ask them. Solve their problem - and you will not go wrong long!

>If you don't have the boss's ear you're essentially going to fail it seems.

The boss doesn't have time to share his ear. He knows this - That the user's are either happy (thus not bitching) or unhappy with what your're doing.

>>How about office politics.

Contractors and independents should avoid office politics. It interferes with our deliverables. Everyone is nice and helpful - right!!