I've heard non-technical folks with their heads in the clouds expecting to run millions of dollars in transactions through an IT system, but cringed at my suggestion that they're likely to dump more than a couple hundred grand one-time into the scheme. Yet the same person doesn't blink at paying significantly more than that yearly maintaining existing low-tech systems, and has already spent millions on ERP projects.

I think a lot of this effect is caused by wishful thinking from people embarking on business plans which they would realise are non-viable if they did the accounting properly. People are buying a fantasy instead of an IT system.