For me it's all about not wasting my time, not because I'm a big deal, because I'm not, but because this happened frequently before I went freelance. There are

For me it's all about not wasting my time, not because I'm a big deal, because I'm not, but because this happened frequently before I went freelance. There are so many non-starters when it comes to jobs, why do companies insist on leaving these out until the very end? Warning: the content below is slightly dramatic but a pretty fair representation of this game. 1) Tell me the salary range up front. 2) Tell me whether you're down with remote up front. Great, we got past 1 & 2. Let's move on: 3) Let's talk about best practices. These are important to me because it makes my life at work pleasant. 4) Great, show me proof of these best practices you talk about. See, I knew you were a dirty liar. You're not doing <best practice> because Visionary/CEO/Financier/Business person that is guaranteed to make my life a living hell doesn't see the value in it. If we make it past 3 and 4 (rare), we're onto salary negotiation! 5) Your idea is never exciting enough to where I'll want to do it for less than my market value. 6) Why yes, I do love programming. No, I won't work for less just because I love doing it.