3 ms·

Why a web design really takes six weeks

2 points by there 16y ago

kls 16y ago
That is why all of my contracts are time and material. There are just too many variables for a small 1-2 man freelance outfit to try to manage x amount of people to get input to me. So Time and Materials makes it fair. If they are pressed for time to get it out the door and crack the whip on their team, then I am right there with them and I don't have to worry about burning through my budget due to untold changes. Or if they are not in a hurry, I am not in a situation where I have taken money and am now slaved to a contract. If they leave me with down time that I am eating, I can adjust other project priorities and start the clock again when they are ready. This works out well for both sides because if you get a wishy-washy client that changes everything every two days, they know that they are running the clock, if you are on a time and materials contract. With a fixed price contract, well it's a lot of fighting over whats in or whats out, either that or you eat some time. Conversely, if they are a more laid back client and they are taking time to get back to you, you can stop the clock for them and work on other stuff. When, I used to take fixed price, It created a bad environment in both situations, I felt like the picky micro-managers where riding me for every free cent they could get and I felt like, I was racing the clock, always chasing the laid back guy, so that I could get the project done, as the money was now in the past. Since I set my own personal rule of not fixed price, my client relationships are better, they are getting higher quality work, and they are happy with what they get because it forces the decision on them as to whether the application is good enough for them or whether the want to spend the money, to change the feature, from what they thought the wanted, to what they really want.
mikeleeorg 16y ago
I find this happens to web development contracts too. Kind of frightening how closely they map, actually (though I'd add a few extra weeks for poorly-defined & extra features they forgot in the beginning). Good times.

2 points by there 16y ago

kls 16y ago

That is why all of my contracts are time and material. There are just too many variables for a small 1-2 man freelance outfit to try to manage x amount of people to get input to me. So Time and Materials makes it fair. If they are pressed for time to get it out the door and crack the whip on their team, then I am right there with them and I don't have to worry about burning through my budget due to untold changes. Or if they are not in a hurry, I am not in a situation where I have taken money and am now slaved to a contract. If they leave me with down time that I am eating, I can adjust other project priorities and start the clock again when they are ready. This works out well for both sides because if you get a wishy-washy client that changes everything every two days, they know that they are running the clock, if you are on a time and materials contract. With a fixed price contract, well it's a lot of fighting over whats in or whats out, either that or you eat some time. Conversely, if they are a more laid back client and they are taking time to get back to you, you can stop the clock for them and work on other stuff. When, I used to take fixed price, It created a bad environment in both situations, I felt like the picky micro-managers where riding me for every free cent they could get and I felt like, I was racing the clock, always chasing the laid back guy, so that I could get the project done, as the money was now in the past. Since I set my own personal rule of not fixed price, my client relationships are better, they are getting higher quality work, and they are happy with what they get because it forces the decision on them as to whether the application is good enough for them or whether the want to spend the money, to change the feature, from what they thought the wanted, to what they really want.

mikeleeorg 16y ago

I find this happens to web development contracts too. Kind of frightening how closely they map, actually (though I'd add a few extra weeks for poorly-defined & extra features they forgot in the beginning). Good times.