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Ask HN: New Service for Dev Teams
Hi Folks
I'm looking for feedback for a consulting idea, offer dev teams a service that takes temp ownership of the dev build, turn it into a deluxe build, and support it going forward.
What's a deluxe dev build? Its a script that takes a new laptop to dev-ready in few hours. Specifically:
1) download + install prerequisite software
2) configure local software + dependencies
3) gets the latest from source control
4) builds the solution locally
5) runs a small set of pre-agreed smoke tests
4,5 is managed by the team, I will offer 1-5 so its a one click setup for new joiners. The script would be built in team's preferred technology and re-use previously-built artifacts as it makes sense. This is about the one-time tasks that devs need to work through before actually getting productive. I'm would not get involved in other environments and/or getting an all-green tests.
As part of the standardized setup, I would also include:
1) Creds + api keys used securely in the build
2) Reduce build times on big projects
3) Fixing Package versioning conflicts
4) Migrating from an a previous build technology
5) Best practice advise for debug/release configs, branch/merge/versioning strategies, build pipelines, security
6) Act as a tie breaker for 'Holy wars' in the team
The final deliveries would would include:
1) The build script mentioned above
2) A VM in the cloud that runs steps 1-5 on daily basis
3) A presentation to the the dev team on what was done and why
About me: 20 Years in tech, mainly London. Worked for some big tech + finance co's. Been a co-founder in a VC-backend startup. Worn may hats, including Principal Dev for an American multinational. First language is English. I've done the exact thing I'm describing before.
What day rate would you pay for such a service - assuming all above can be done in 2-6 weeks? Also assuming its done 80% remote, 20% on-side (if thats neededed at all).