[thelist] rentacoder.com

[Joshua Olson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Dell'Aringa" <pixelmech at yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2003 1:23 PM


> Draftsman #1: I'll produce your drawing in a month, for $750
> Draftsman #2: I'll product your drawing in a month, for $25
>
> THAT is the problem. They aren't doing anything *different*. It's not
> cad-cam vs. drafting. Its fee vs. fee. Mr #1 is in trouble if Mr. #2
> gets all the jobs.

Even worse, when Mr. #2 fails to produce the product at the cost the client
has a couple options:

1.  Leave the market altogether.
2.  Pay Mr. #2 enough to get the job done right (probably his goal in the
first place)
3.  Go find somebody else.

I am of the opinion that those who underbid so heavily may be doing so with
the intention to get the customer to pay the _actual_ amount later, once
they have a monopoly on the contract.

Of course, maybe the company has cookie cutters for most applications and
makes their money off hosting.

> There are all kinds of side issues that go along with this issue, but
> it most assuredly is not an issue of technology. Nobody or nothing is
> ripping web/software development up, or even threatening it. The
> issue is available freelance/contract work and the rates it is sold
> at.

It's also an issue of consumer confidence.  I've talked to many businesses
who had a bad experience with prior developers who promised the world,
delivered nothing, and ended up costing a lot.  Those customers were _good
customers_ (meaning they paid) that were about ready to throw in the towel.

I've had a couple chances to come back in and clean up those mess-ups and
I've always been told that what clients appreciate most is my responsiveness
to inquiries.  All things told, that's what sets us local (at least not
oversees) developers apart.  When the client calls, I'm there to answer the
phone AND I speak good English AND it's a semi-local call for me to call
them back.  Therefore I have no problems returning calls.  Of course, this
doesn't just apply to me, but also every other professional developer who is
worth their money.

Let's see some undercost oversees shop do that!

:-)

<><><><><><><><><><>
Joshua Olson
Web Application Engineer
WAE Tech Inc.
http://www.waetech.com
706.210.0168