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Full disclosure: I'm both a programmer and I'm also on oDesk. My tip is to post your listing on a Friday evening / early Saturday morning. Since most 9-5 progr

Full disclosure: I'm both a programmer and I'm also on oDesk. My tip is to post your listing on a Friday evening / early Saturday morning. Since most 9-5 programmers aren't bothered to respond during their free time (aka the weekends), your chances of finding a passionate / committed programmer will be much higher then. Also, make sure you put in ample details about your job on the listing. Just my observation.

Jweimusic 13y ago
Thanks! Would you reccomend that I post a very detail page about what I need or just a basic outline of it and then discuss further after I see their qualifications. Each time I make a posting, im always receiving bids from people from India with nothing on their cover letter but a list of previous projects they have worked on.
- checker659 13y ago
  If I were hiring, I'd skip the qualifications and ask for a prototype with every bid. The prototype in itself could be something very simple (I'd give examples but you haven't mentioned about what it is you want made). Also, if you want good hackers, you must be willing to pay good money as well (and be sure to talk about that in your listing as well). Edit: forgot to answer your question: yes, a decent outline should suffice most of the time.
  - Jweimusic 13y ago
    Thanks again. For example my friend runs a construction company and he is looking for a web based crm type of system that will help him keep track of leads and task. What would I ask for in a prototype?
    - checker659 13y ago
      Something like a mockup of the main user interface you have in mind, but in code.
leknarf 13y ago
I've heard this suggestion before, but most of the professional freelancers I know do not spend a large amount of time working on nights or weekends. Why would they? It's fairly straightforward for a freelance developer to earn 6 figures a year, which is enough for most people. At that point, more personal time is more appealing than more spending money. This is important, since professionalism is a huge factor in how well freelancers perform. You almost certainly want to work with freelancers that work predictable daytime hours and can thus respond quickly when you have questions. I certainly don't mean to suggest that someone working on a weekend can't be professional (I'm on HN myself right now). But I don't think it's wise to intentionally avoid the 9-5 crowd.

Jweimusic 13y ago

Thanks! Would you reccomend that I post a very detail page about what I need or just a basic outline of it and then discuss further after I see their qualifications. Each time I make a posting, im always receiving bids from people from India with nothing on their cover letter but a list of previous projects they have worked on.

checker659 13y ago
If I were hiring, I'd skip the qualifications and ask for a prototype with every bid. The prototype in itself could be something very simple (I'd give examples but you haven't mentioned about what it is you want made). Also, if you want good hackers, you must be willing to pay good money as well (and be sure to talk about that in your listing as well). Edit: forgot to answer your question: yes, a decent outline should suffice most of the time.
- Jweimusic 13y ago
  Thanks again. For example my friend runs a construction company and he is looking for a web based crm type of system that will help him keep track of leads and task. What would I ask for in a prototype?
  - checker659 13y ago
    Something like a mockup of the main user interface you have in mind, but in code.

leknarf 13y ago

I've heard this suggestion before, but most of the professional freelancers I know do not spend a large amount of time working on nights or weekends. Why would they? It's fairly straightforward for a freelance developer to earn 6 figures a year, which is enough for most people. At that point, more personal time is more appealing than more spending money. This is important, since professionalism is a huge factor in how well freelancers perform. You almost certainly want to work with freelancers that work predictable daytime hours and can thus respond quickly when you have questions. I certainly don't mean to suggest that someone working on a weekend can't be professional (I'm on HN myself right now). But I don't think it's wise to intentionally avoid the 9-5 crowd.