The Freelancers' Show

Panel Charles Max Wood (twitter github Teach Me To Code Rails Summer Camp) Eric Davis (twitter github blog) Evan Light (twitter github blog) Jeff Schoolcraft (twitter github blog) Discussion Ruby Java .NET JavaScript Ruby on Rails Rescue Projects Redmine Chili Project Legacy Code Sinatra Rack Spree Ryan Bigg Radiant rails_admin Padrino Plugins attachment_fu Upgrading around customized plugins acts_as_commentable_with_threading Twitter API Facebook API Email LDAP authentication Single Signon authentication "Ruby is the glue that doesn't set" Facebook Connect ACH gateway OmniAuth Facebook Graph API Minitest Minitest-spec RSpec Cucumber Spinach Coulda "I want something like except it does ." Big Rewrites Nagios Picks Vagrant (Eric) Rookies in the Bike Shed by DHH (Eric) ActiveAdmin (Jeff) VeeWee (Jeff) The Power of Habit (Jeff) OO vs Functional Design (Evan) Pry (Evan) Mass Effect 3 (Evan) Scrivener (Chuck) railstutorial.org (Chuck) Crafting Rails Applications (Chuck) RubyKoans (Eric)

Panel Charles Max Wood (twitter github Teach Me To Code Rails Summer Camp) Eric Davis (twitter github blog) Evan Light (twitter github blog) Jeff Schoolcraft (twitter github blog) Discussion 30x500 by Amy Hoy See Project Run Refactoring Redmine Redmine Tips Authoring Ebooks Chirk SAAS Freelance Funnel Newsletters iPhone Apps BDDCasts Rails Beginning course Evan's iPad app Scratch your own itch Marketing works well over time Batch up work Scheduling blog posts Bufferapp.com Budgeting time to do product development Marketing takes up the most time microconf Micropreneur Academy Why are you building what you're building? Project vs Product Momentum Marketing to build momentum 4 Hour Work Week Lean Startup How do you find a product to make that your market wants to buy from you? Yes, 50 scientific whatever,.... Product focused business - The product is the most powerful Market focused business - The market is the most powerful Opportunity cost of product development Time and location freedom Picks Seth Godin's blog post on "People think Photographers spend their time..." (Eric) 21 times (Eric) 30x500 (Eric) Tripit (Evan) Steven Baxter's manifold series (Evan) Nathan Lowell's Trader Tales (Evan) Hugo and Nebula awards (Eric) Yes, 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive (Jeff) James Bond - Ian Fleming (Jeff) Robert Heinlein (Jeff) Goodreads (Chuck) Things (Chuck) Siri + Reminders on the iPhone 4S (Evan)

Panel Charles Max Wood (twitter github Teach Me To Code Rails Summer Camp) Eric Davis (twitter github blog) Evan Light (twitter github blog) Jeff Schoolcraft (twitter github blog) Discussion Wordpress Templates Designers Branding and Design Referrals from Clients Referrals from your network Client supplied designers Designers in the family ThemeForest WooThemes oDesk eLance iPhone App design 99designs Rails Rumble Requires a ton of feedback API interviews Use a subcontractor Accountability Photoshop PSD files PDF files HTML & CSS jQuery Animations Have a designer break it up into assets Using existing design (Redmine, Chiliproject) Twitter Bootstrap UI/UX designers User testing A/B testing Should you manage designers? Website layouts Logo nerds oswd.org medialoot.com micropreneur academy elegant themes Picks Eon (Jeff) Freshbooks (Jeff) How Designers can help Developers by Matt Gemmell (Jeff) How Developers can help Designers by Matt Gemmell (Jeff) Freelancing Weekly (Jeff) Chop Chop (Jeff) Compass (Evan) First Class (Evan) Bootstrapping Design by Jared Drysdale (Eric) Font Deck (Eric) Stylate (Eric) Acorn (Chuck) GIMP (Chuck) Pixelmator (Evan)

Panel Charles Max Wood (twitter github Teach Me To Code Rails Summer Camp) David Brady (blog witter github ADDcasts) Eric Davis (twitter github blog) Jeff Schoolcraft (twitter github blog) JT Zemp (twitter github) Discussion Doubling your rate and doubling your business Exchange of value Communication counts Rate setting is about perception Experiment with your rate The "gasp technique" Sales confidence You may be able to charge more if you can get it done quickly. Freelance Switch Rate Calculator Take your yearly salary and divide by $1,000 Rate based on your cost The cost of employing a person is something you have to cover "Do the hustle" - Obie Fernandez What is the minimum that Rails developers should be charging? $100/hour? $150/hour? Talk to people who do what you do and see if they tell you to raise your rate If they want you to subcontract to you, you might be too low Look for subcontracting opportunities if you're willing to lower your rate and pass off the marketing, etc. Do you lower the rate or negotiate if the client wants lower? Correlation between your rate and your value Don't give discounts, negotiate your rate If you speak first, ask for $20/hour more than your normal rate so you can negotiate to what you want Put your price out there to filter requests "We fix $5 haircuts." Rescue work Fixed bids Estimate, add padding, multiply by rate, and round up Bid on putting in a bid PERT methodology Slide Rule Labs Rate Sheet Picks Shane Perlman - What should I charge? (Eric) 500 Words before 8am (Jeff) Negotiating your salary - how to make $1000 a minute  (Dave) How to outnegotiate anyone even a used car salesman (Dave) Never negotiate with yourself (Dave) How to win friends and influence people (JT) Power sales negotiation (JT) Evernote (Chuck) Talking to Experienced People (Chuck)

Panel Charles Max Wood (twitter github Teach Me To Code Rails Summer Camp) Eric Davis (twitter github blog) Evan Light (twitter github blog) Jeff Schoolcraft (twitter github blog) Discussion Separate things out by day Set a fixed schedule The downside of being hourly Flexibility Ebb and Flow with balance Get help Hire a VA Subcontractors Contracting out Design Work Cut back Batch up the work Food delivery services (frozen pre-cooked/pre-made meals) Cleaning services Batch dinners Every Sunday pay bills/expenses Balance the checkbooks Build systems Earth Class Mail Concentrate FitBit Exercise & Sleep Recumbent bike Build it into your routine Picks Happiness Tracker iPhone App (Eric) TED talk on maintaining air quality (Eric) Concentrate App (Jeff) Treadmill Desk (Jeff) Standing Desk (Jeff) Geek Desk (Evan) Finding Outside Help (Evan) Theme Forest (Chuck) Keep a Water Bottle at your Desk (Chuck) Camelbak Water Bottle (Eric) Ruby on Ales (Evan) Mountain West Ruby Conf (Evan)

Panel Charles Max Wood (twitter github Teach Me To Code Rails Summer Camp) Eric Davis (twitter github blog) Evan Light (twitter github blog) Jeff Schoolcraft (twitter github blog) Discussion Fixed bid Time and materials Give a budget to the client Scope creep Do you renegotiate the contract on scope creep? Short fixed bids can help manage costs and risk Customer management Fixed vs. Hourly is a discussion of risk Provide options for a fixed bid Multipliers for each unknown Risk is added for each new technology added to the stack Alan Weiss Start up with a courting period and then renegotiate after the courting period Shorten the scope of the project When you lower your bid, remove features (value) from the bid Charge more! Picks Find a Mastermind or Group of people who do what you do (Chuck) Heil PR-40 Microphone (Chuck) Other dynamic (Chuck) Behringer XENYX (Chuck) Roland R-05 (Chuck) Resounder (Chuck) Adobe Audition (Chuck) Million Dollar Consulting (Eric) The Consulting Bible (Eric) Peepcode Play by Play (Eric) Destroy All Software (Eric) (anti-pick) iMac Microphone (Evan) (anti-pick) Eric Davis' Internet Connection (Evan) Math Minute Additions (Jeff) Steel City Ruby Conf (Jeff) Mass Effect 3 (Jeff) Star Wars the Old Republic (Evan) Transcript CHUCK: Anyway I’ve got to hang up and get off so-- EVAN: Yeah, whatever. ERIC: Yeah you got what you need out of us. I see. CHUCK: Yeah exactly. EVAN:  At least you kiss us after you f--- us. JEFF: That has got to be the sound. CHUCK: Hey everybody! Welcome back to the Ruby Freelancer Show. On today’s panel we have Eric Davis. ERIC: Hello. CHUCK: We also have Evan Light. EVAN: Hi! CHUCK: And we also have Jeff Schoolcraft. JEFF: What's up? CHUCK: Now we’ve kind of been a quite bunch this morning, so we have to see how the show goes. So we were discussing what we want to talk about and one of the things that somebody brought up (and I’ve been asked a few times) is whether or not to take fixed bids. And I'm pretty sure I know what you guys are going to say, so if anyone wants to chime in and share their opinion on whether fixed bids or hourly, or either one or both are okay, go ahead. ERIC:   Well why don’t we start with actually defining what fixed bid is, because I see people say, don’t do fixed bids. But they actually don’t mean the same thing on someone else. CHUCK: Okay, so when I say fixed bids, what do you think? ERIC: For me, it’s basically a set cost, typically a set of features and then there will typically be like a set deadline which goes wishing by usually. CHUCK: Right, and then the other side of the spectrum is every hour I work, you pay me X amount of money right? ERIC: Yeah and some people consider that hourly. CHUCK: What else would you consider hourly? JEFF: Not government based, we will call fixed bid from fixed price and that's all the expenses everything, you are doing for whatever scope the project is, rolls up to some big number. And the other to way to do, is time and materials. So, you charge for every minute you work on that project and every pencil you buy or whatever you do to clear it up. But that is the other, I don’t know, vernacular terms I heard for those two billing concepts. CHUCK: Right. I want to see you code with a pencil, that would be fun. JEFF: Sometimes it will be faster. CHUCK: It's easier to debug. You just turn it over and use the eraser right? ERIC: Yeah I actually do it lot on index cards, when modelling or whatever, just kind of write stuff on index card. If it's not going to look like it's going to relay just throw the index card away. It’s a lot faster than removing code. CHUCK: That's true. That’s kind of an interesting planning phase or I guess modelling phase. And you can do agile, so that you are consistently updating your model as you code.

Panel Charles Max Wood (twitter github Teach Me To Code Rails Summer Camp) Eric Davis (twitter github blog) Evan Light (twitter github blog) Jeff Schoolcraft (twitter github blog) Discussion George Bush misquote Cashboard Non-payment/Late payments Lack of Communication Working for a client is like a dating relationship Subcontracting Blame Local vs. Remote Corporate Culture Find clients who are willing to learn Communicate before you fire the client Watch out for people who push back on non-negotiables in your client The client must sign a contract It makes a difference if the client appreciates your work If things become emotional, just nod and say "Thank you for the feedback." Watch out for long silent spells Zero Bullshit Policy We want clients to be more like business partners rather than masters (with us as servants) The Shrink Principle Have a website 3 day reminder from the billing system F*** you, pay me. Make sure you get a deposit Be helpful and professional Punctuality for meetings Overused relationship metaphors Fire them as soon as possible if it can't be saved Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port Picks The Secret of Consulting by Gerald Weinburg (Evan) The SaaS class at UC Berkeley (Jeff) The SaaS book for the UC Berkeley class (Jeff) Stanford on iTunes U for iOS (Jeff) FutureRuby talk by Dr Nic (Eric) F**k it (Eric) Hubspot (Chuck) The Third Tribe (Chuck)

Panel Charles Max Wood (twitter github Teach Me To Code Rails Summer Camp) Eric Davis (twitter github blog) Evan Light (twitter github blog) Jeff Schoolcraft (twitter github blog) Discussion ChiliProject/Redmine Website Contact Form littlestreamsoftware.com business/niche apps libraries getting involved in open source projects Refinery Fat Free CRM Instructure speaking at conferences talk to other developers, have a community presence users groups referrals from other/larger firms subcontracting blogging and podcasting for lead generation be an expert in your field build trust with potential clients the tiers of intimacy do what you enjoy doing job boards -but-
not job boards
compete not on price, but on qualities
recruiters
government contracts and associated suicide accessories
don't work for equity unless you're fine as an investor
vetting clients
define availability, timetable, deadline and rough spec
research the client
Obie Fernandez' Master Services Agreement
Statement of Work
New Leaders Master Service Agreement (CC)
subcontractor agreements
if the client gives you a contract, it will be slanted toward the client
if you give the client a contract, it will be slanted toward you
considering a client "in the pipeline"
signed contract
deposit in the bank
determining sufficient deposit
deposit in escrow
does the client set off alarm bells? Picks TextExpander (Chuck) exercise and make time for yourself (Chuck) sleep (Eric) SaneBox (Eric) OtherInbox (Evan) limit your billable hours per week (Evan) Siri on iPhone 4s (Evan) Preneurcast (Jeff) How to Read a Book (Jeff) Read It For Me (Jeff)

Panel Charles Max Wood (twitter github Teach Me To Code Rails Summer Camp) Eric Davis (twitter github blog) Evan Light (twitter github blog) Jeff Schoolcraft (twitter github blog) Discussion Transition from other work to freelancing Finding clients Have money in the bank Have no money in the bank Selling yourself short Billable time, administrative work and time spent working Finding prospects Get involved with user groups, the community, for networking Host events, get behind podium, have credibility Confidence for getting clients and not selling one's self short First and second degree contacts Find out where your customers are Picks Harvest (Chuck) VIM (Chuck) MacVIM (Chuck) Freshbooks (Evan) Getting Things Done by David Allen (Evan) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (Evan) Pinboard (Jeff) Skype (anti-pick) (Jeff and Evan) Cashboard (Jeff) James Bond by Ian Flemingy (Jeff) A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin (Jeff) The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (Jeff) Reading for fun (Evan) Get Clients Now!(TM): A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants, and Coaches by C. J. Hayden (Eric) Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port (Eric) Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide by John Jantsch (Evan) Freelancing Weekly (Eric)