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> Pay for work not time spent on the computer. Consider the unintended consequences of what you're proposing. Most software projects end up taking far longer t

by whack 6y ago

> Pay for work not time spent on the computer. Consider the unintended consequences of what you're proposing. Most software projects end up taking far longer than initially estimated. If you tell your manager that you can have something done in one month, and it actually takes you two months to do it, does that mean you should take a 50% pay cut for those 2 months? Or that you should work 80 hours weeks to get it done in 1 month? If you're a freelancer who doesn't charge by the hour, more power to you. But most people prefer the stability of a fixed monthly paycheck, regardless of how productive/unproductive they may be

deleted 6y ago
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Silhouette 6y ago
If you're a freelancer who doesn't charge by the hour, more power to you. But most people prefer the stability of a fixed monthly paycheck, regardless of how productive/unproductive they may be Most employees might prefer that. It seems likely that a disproportionate amount of freelancers (and other entrepreneurial types) do not, presumably because they trust that the results they can offer will justify higher compensation than they would expect to receive as an employee and they know how to manage their risk. It's a totally different kind of relationship when you're working business-to-business instead of employer-employee.
- whack 6y ago
  Yup, I definitely agree with you that it's an entirely different career model and some people would prefer that. Unfortunately, there's also a lot of people who want the best of both worlds. "Why did you leave work at 3pm yesterday?" "I finished all my sprint tasks, so how does it matter if I leave early? You're paying me for results, not time" "Why didn't you complete all your sprint tasks last week?" "I was working diligently from 9-5 everyday but still wasn't able to finish my tasks. You don't seriously expect me to work evenings do you?"
poulsbohemian 6y ago
>If you're a freelancer who doesn't charge by the hour, more power to you. But most people prefer the stability of a fixed monthly paycheck, regardless of how productive/unproductive they may be Back in the day, I billed different projects by time, by fixed price, by value, by deliverables, and by time-based retainer. What I found was that what the client was willing to consider said a lot about their values and ethics. There were cases where I could save clients money by doing something other that T&M, but their need to feel in control was so great that I finally just gave up and stopped trying to be creative about contract terms. Personally - I still think retainer based is the best option for an ongoing relationship as it should eliminate all the needless haggling - I consult, you pay, we all win. So I'm with you - for all the thinking that I might be able to increase my revenue by some other model was wiped out by the fact that it was just easier to bill hourly.

by whack 6y ago

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

Silhouette 6y ago

If you're a freelancer who doesn't charge by the hour, more power to you. But most people prefer the stability of a fixed monthly paycheck, regardless of how productive/unproductive they may be Most employees might prefer that. It seems likely that a disproportionate amount of freelancers (and other entrepreneurial types) do not, presumably because they trust that the results they can offer will justify higher compensation than they would expect to receive as an employee and they know how to manage their risk. It's a totally different kind of relationship when you're working business-to-business instead of employer-employee.

whack 6y ago
Yup, I definitely agree with you that it's an entirely different career model and some people would prefer that. Unfortunately, there's also a lot of people who want the best of both worlds. "Why did you leave work at 3pm yesterday?" "I finished all my sprint tasks, so how does it matter if I leave early? You're paying me for results, not time" "Why didn't you complete all your sprint tasks last week?" "I was working diligently from 9-5 everyday but still wasn't able to finish my tasks. You don't seriously expect me to work evenings do you?"

poulsbohemian 6y ago

>If you're a freelancer who doesn't charge by the hour, more power to you. But most people prefer the stability of a fixed monthly paycheck, regardless of how productive/unproductive they may be Back in the day, I billed different projects by time, by fixed price, by value, by deliverables, and by time-based retainer. What I found was that what the client was willing to consider said a lot about their values and ethics. There were cases where I could save clients money by doing something other that T&M, but their need to feel in control was so great that I finally just gave up and stopped trying to be creative about contract terms. Personally - I still think retainer based is the best option for an ongoing relationship as it should eliminate all the needless haggling - I consult, you pay, we all win. So I'm with you - for all the thinking that I might be able to increase my revenue by some other model was wiped out by the fact that it was just easier to bill hourly.