Collaboration usually requires communication and compromises. The pay off in the long run should come in the form of saved time, higher quality and a healthier ecosystem. But how does this all work out in practical terms? I remember a university course labeled "code is law". Talking about the hard facts that code defines. The topic there was mostly about stuff like how the default settings of apache define the reality of what gets logged and not whatever the governments privacy laws define. At the same time it can make collaboration harder, just because one group got their release out first (potentially rushed?) does it mean that their BC concerns outweigh your design concerns? Even if neither or both parties have released code to think about, you might have some other standards are tastes already developed that collide, how to decide the direction, especially if you have a sense you might end up being the junior partner? Now even if both sides are perfect gentle(wo)men will the end result not be some mushy half of everything compromise with no real world value?

There are lots of reasons I just listed to be scared of collaboration and there are probably a bazillion more. I guess the trickiest part is finding a sense of trust. Trust in each of the parties involved, despite each coming from a different "camp", that they still want to search for the greatest sensible common denominator for the joint user base. In that sense likely the biggest obstacles are not even technical but social .. or maybe the success of collaboration is even coincidence of having the right kind of people meet at the right table at the right point in time feeling adventurous, bold and forward thinking.

well done! you just nicely pinned down the fears and potential problems of collaboration.

I particularly love this sentence:
"just because one group got their release out first (potentially rushed?) does it mean that their BC concerns outweigh your design concerns?"

the answer to it decides over collaboration, compromise, fork or diy. it's potentially prone to the not-invented-here disease and it's easy to be answered by ignoring the real question "are your design concerns a matter of preference or requirement?"

a lot of the collaboration you talk about depends on people not shying away from arguments. which is necessary so the mist clears and the facts remain.

Although it sounds funny, Collaboration is scary in real. However without collaboration a lot of professions will not function properly. If you take healthcare for example, its professionals must come together to enhance health care outcomes. The extent to which different healthcare professionals interprofessionally collaborate and work together affects the quality of the healthcare as a whole. Poor interprofessional collaboration has negative effect on the delivery of health services and patient care. There are potential barriers that may hinder the success and the health outcomes of the team’s goal and objectives. Barriers such as lack of communication, team functioning and dynamics, leadership, roles and responsibilities, and lack of trust and respect can interfere with the performance of the team members translating into poor results and achievements. However, these potential barriers can be overcome by enhancing post-licensure interprofessional collaboration. Various interventions can be designed and be implemented to enhance interprofessional teamwork and overcome these potential barriers.