5 ms·

> An easy way to build up productised services is to keep the rights to use of the software that you write or that you oversee others writing. This works best f

> An easy way to build up productised services is to keep the rights to use of the software that you write or that you oversee others writing. This works best for software that doesn’t give a competitive edge to customers and that is not specific to customers. Your leverage is to give a discount on your fees, if you are allowed to keep the rights to use. I have never seen this going well. It is in my experience very rare that companies are willing to let the consultant keep the rights and when they do there is a big chance that they regret it and want the rights for a small fee later. I've seen this damaging the customer relationship in the past. I'm curious what other consultant's experiences are?

wtracy 7y ago
I don't have firsthand experience, but anecdotally this sort of thing seems to be more common with government agencies and large corporations than small business clients. I suspect that negotiating it is a lot more complicated than just offering a discounted rate. Honestly, it probably involves wining and dining key decision makers. (Hence, why it happens with government agencies and large corporations.)
- iudqnolq 7y ago
  > I don't have firsthand experience, but anecdotally this sort of thing seems to be more common with government agencies and large corporations than small business clients. Dumb question: is "this sort of thing" keeping or not keeping the rights?
  - weinzierl 7y ago
    Not parent, but I suppose that government agencies in the US are more willing to not insist on keeping the rights. There is the idea that tax-paid work should (or must?) be available to the general public. Therefore the agencies don't have a good argument for keeping the rights anyway. As far as I know this is very much a US thing and doesn't exist elsewhere. At least where OP and I work it is - to the best of my knowledge - unheard of. For a prime example see SQLite, which is in the public domain because its author worked as contractor for the Navy, when it was created.

wtracy 7y ago

I don't have firsthand experience, but anecdotally this sort of thing seems to be more common with government agencies and large corporations than small business clients. I suspect that negotiating it is a lot more complicated than just offering a discounted rate. Honestly, it probably involves wining and dining key decision makers. (Hence, why it happens with government agencies and large corporations.)

iudqnolq 7y ago
> I don't have firsthand experience, but anecdotally this sort of thing seems to be more common with government agencies and large corporations than small business clients. Dumb question: is "this sort of thing" keeping or not keeping the rights?
- weinzierl 7y ago
  Not parent, but I suppose that government agencies in the US are more willing to not insist on keeping the rights. There is the idea that tax-paid work should (or must?) be available to the general public. Therefore the agencies don't have a good argument for keeping the rights anyway. As far as I know this is very much a US thing and doesn't exist elsewhere. At least where OP and I work it is - to the best of my knowledge - unheard of. For a prime example see SQLite, which is in the public domain because its author worked as contractor for the Navy, when it was created.