- [Narrator] So it's lunchtime and you hit your local deli for a sandwich. You order steak and onions on rye, with a slice of cheese and a sliver of mustard. "Heck," you say. "Throw a pickle on it for luck!"

- [Customer] Yes, I would like a steak and onion sandwich on rye, with a slice of cheese and some mustard."

- [Narrator] They ask if you want it toasted.

- [Deli Worker] Would you like it toasted?

- [Narrator] You nod and they say it'll be a five minute wait.

- [Deli Worker] It'll be a five minute wait.

- [Narrator] But here's the snag. You're in a hurry. You ask the deli if they can do it any faster.

- "Sure," they say.

- [Deli Worker] Sure.

- [Narrator] But you can't have it toasted.

- [Deli Worker] But you can't have it toasted!

- [Narrator] "Okay," you say, but now it feels a little expensive.

- [Customer] That's a little expensive.

- [Narrator] "Well," they say. "We can go cheaper, but then you can't have the steak." What you are facing is the project triangle. It's the choice between cost, time and quality. You can have two of the three, but you can't have them all. When you talk to your project stakeholders, this is a great way to describe their choices and help them focus on their priorities. It doesn't matter if you're building a house, developing software or ordering a sandwich, no matter how you cut it, there's no escaping the project triangle.