How do I start a project with you?
The best way to start a project together is get to know each other better. Please book a free consultation Zoom call directly in my calendar for when it's suitable. I'm more than happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement before we talk - feel free to email me if you'd like to discuss this.During the call, we'll go through your ideas and talk about what your project may look like. You will also have the opportunity to ask me questions. Please feel free to email me any documentation that may help me understand your project ahead of the call.
After the call, I will follow-up with you within 3 business days with a first draft of milestones, deliverables and fees for your project. We may spend some time refining the proposal until we arrive at a final specification document.
As the final step, we will sign a service agreement with the specification document attached. After that, I will begin working on the first milestone and will update you regularly on the progress.
Do you require a deposit before the work starts?
Some freelancers take deposits when a new contract is signed. I do not. Instead, I believe in getting paid after milestones are completed. I will most likely split up your project into smaller milestones so that both you and I are comfortable with deliverables and with payment schedule.What types of contracts do you do?
As a freelancer, there are two main ways in which I work with clients, and sometimes the two are mixed within a single project. This essentially comes down to what we mutually commit to as my deliverables.- An artifact deliverable is a standalone piece of work like a design, software with pre-defined features, or a written document. There is a structured project process involved with such deliverables, where we establish and sign a specification document, I deliver artifacts to that specification, and you sign off on the deliverables. Artifact deliverables help us think about clear objectives and de-risk projects, since they have milestones with timescales and prices set.
- Consulting, where the deliverable is my time and I act in an advisory role only. This is most suitable if you need me to review and advise on your existing software development processes and documentation, attend consultation meetings with your team or write short advisory summaries. This type of deliverable is charged on an hourly basis every two weeks. Our service agreement will specify how many hours I am expected to work in each two-week period. Some clients like to specify minimum and maximum number of hours that they may require from me.
How long of a contract would I need to commit to?
That really depends on what you need help with. I work on both short- and long-term basis and I often have clients who keep renewing a contract with me when they need more work done. Some clients need a lot of initial consultation while they are getting their software development team setup and later hire me as a support consultant. Others need a little bit of help with technical planning of their MVP first and hire me on a larger design or development contract once they secure more funding for their project.The common denominator in all my contracts is open communication about what my clients need right now and what they are planning for in the future. The most important thing for me is to bring value to your team, and I always do my best to listen and to adapt.
