3 ms·

If they want a "day" rate why not just charge them what you want to make per day? Assume you won't work on anything else that day, how much do you want to make

by bradfa 12y ago

If they want a "day" rate why not just charge them what you want to make per day? Assume you won't work on anything else that day, how much do you want to make in a day? Does it really matter how many hours you'll be productive? Hopefully this customer is paying for YOU and not your code. If not, how do you make it so they are paying for YOU and not your code? I'm not a freelancer, I'm in a salary position. But I get the same amount per day regardless of if I write code for 8 hours, write emails for 12 hours, or only spend 4 hours in the office due to a company picnic. If someone asked me what my "day" rate is I'd say around $500, as that's roughly my employer's fully loaded cost for me to be employed for a day that I'm not on vacation.

porker 12y ago
> Does it really matter how many hours you'll be productive? Hopefully this customer is paying for YOU and not your code. When sat in their office I am sensitive to the perception that I'm not working hard -- and in normal management style, not worth the money (because I don't look busy). I guess I also have a strong protestant morality of not overcharging - and if they hire me for an 8 hour day, I'd darn well better give them a proper 8 hours' of work.
- bradfa 12y ago
  > if they hire me for an 8 hour day, I'd darn well better give them a proper 8 hours' of work. If I was to hire you, I expect I will pay you your rate for the emails you send to me telling me status of your work, for the time you spend researching the problem at hand, and for telling me that if I compromise on one part of the development that I would get $BENEFIT and that I should change my specification to get $BENEFIT. None of this is writing code but all of it is very valuable. I've come to realize that people who write code are not as valued by those who authorize the writing of checks as people who can communicate and get shit done. It doesn't matter if you write code well, it matters that you get shit done and communicate about it to others.

by bradfa 12y ago

porker 12y ago

> Does it really matter how many hours you'll be productive? Hopefully this customer is paying for YOU and not your code. When sat in their office I am sensitive to the perception that I'm not working hard -- and in normal management style, not worth the money (because I don't look busy). I guess I also have a strong protestant morality of not overcharging - and if they hire me for an 8 hour day, I'd darn well better give them a proper 8 hours' of work.

bradfa 12y ago
> if they hire me for an 8 hour day, I'd darn well better give them a proper 8 hours' of work. If I was to hire you, I expect I will pay you your rate for the emails you send to me telling me status of your work, for the time you spend researching the problem at hand, and for telling me that if I compromise on one part of the development that I would get $BENEFIT and that I should change my specification to get $BENEFIT. None of this is writing code but all of it is very valuable. I've come to realize that people who write code are not as valued by those who authorize the writing of checks as people who can communicate and get shit done. It doesn't matter if you write code well, it matters that you get shit done and communicate about it to others.