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We just wanna get started

Ayush Jain
Ayush Jain

This document explains graphically a typical hiring scenario on Upwork, it's consequences and also suggests the right way to start with app/software development.

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Like every other buyer, Ive had my success as well as some misses (especially when I hired for the 鍖rst time). I made this presentation from my experience to help fellow buyers. Reading below will help you understand 3 things: 1. The psychology of Upwork sellers who would take your project and turn it into a mess. 2. Why you should not take hiring decision in a hurry. 3. The early signs that things may not work out.... WE just wanna get started A COMMON HIRING SCENARIO FOR NON TECH FOUNDERS To make sure that every reader can associate himself with the situation, lets consider you are looking to get a sedan car built. I want to get a Red Sedan Car built You post a description that you seem to cover this: -> Need a Sedan car. -> Red color. -> Flag on the door. (As Upwork says, hire in less than 5 minutes) Your post is out there & sellers start submitting their bids based on their understanding. Since there are 100s who want the job, there is a mad rush to submit a low cost against the post. Remember: Ambiguous job description will ALWAYS return a wide range of proposals and estimates Trivia: I once posted just my name and still got 30+ quotes :) The conversation will often lead to estimates that vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The results leave you confused as to why there is such a di鍖erence in the price and whom to choose? $10000 $8000 $12000 $6000 Yay! I think I will go with the lowest price As no team took the pains to understand what you really wanted, the end product often partly matches what you wanted and partly what could be created for the quoted budget. There is a 90% chance your product will end up like this Oops! What I wanted is not this :( Deciding the development team based on few details and settling for lower cost will ALWAYS result in a low quality product that does not match your expectations. THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS Speak to a team about your idea. The details of any idea will not be easy to explain in one conversation. Expect to have multiple discussions with prospective development partners and use as many visual aids as possible. Iteration #1 This looks good, but I want to change: 1. Lets have more ground clearance. 2. Increase the length of car. Iteration #2 This looks better. How about changing: 1. Mirror styles. 2. I want mag wheels. Iteration #3 This looks perfect! :) The right team will always insist on discussing details before giving a quote. The 鍖rst mission of any good team will be to get the idea clearly formed BEFORE any real work starts. A good team should be able to deciper and match 3 things: #1. What you want and have described. #2. What you want but didnt KNOW you wanted. #3. What has not been stated but required for a successful project (The Magic beans). Wireframes come to the rescue in all such discussions. They insure that you and the developer are referencing and visualizing the same objective. Also it is an essential method to see how each feature could be created, in terms of functionality and speci鍖cs. It becomes easier to modify details accordingly and get the combination right. Only once the wireframes agree with the buyers vision should the scope of project be discussed. If you don't run experiments before you start designing a new system, your entire system will be an experiment. After the wireframes are 鍖nalized the idea is run through a similar set of design iterations. Final Wireframes Design Iteration Final Design Final designs are then worked upon and developed into a fully 鍖edged product. THE FINAL RESULT Delivered Product The Idea Yay! This is exactly what I had thought of! :) KEY TAKEAWAYS So to make sure that you are getting what you wanted: 1. Make sure that your description is detailed. 2. Dont rush in to getting quotes. 3. Compare teams against value and not against cost. 4. Spend enough time on analysis before starting development. and remember ALWAYS WIREFRAME! A look at descriptions that dont work Made with Famous last words from many Upwork clients...AMEN!

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We just wanna get started

  • 1. Like every other buyer, Ive had my success as well as some misses (especially when I hired for the 鍖rst time). I made this presentation from my experience to help fellow buyers. Reading below will help you understand 3 things: 1. The psychology of Upwork sellers who would take your project and turn it into a mess. 2. Why you should not take hiring decision in a hurry. 3. The early signs that things may not work out.... WE just wanna get started A COMMON HIRING SCENARIO FOR NON TECH FOUNDERS To make sure that every reader can associate himself with the situation, lets consider you are looking to get a sedan car built. I want to get a Red Sedan Car built You post a description that you seem to cover this: -> Need a Sedan car. -> Red color. -> Flag on the door. (As Upwork says, hire in less than 5 minutes) Your post is out there & sellers start submitting their bids based on their understanding. Since there are 100s who want the job, there is a mad rush to submit a low cost against the post. Remember: Ambiguous job description will ALWAYS return a wide range of proposals and estimates Trivia: I once posted just my name and still got 30+ quotes :) The conversation will often lead to estimates that vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The results leave you confused as to why there is such a di鍖erence in the price and whom to choose? $10000 $8000 $12000 $6000 Yay! I think I will go with the lowest price As no team took the pains to understand what you really wanted, the end product often partly matches what you wanted and partly what could be created for the quoted budget. There is a 90% chance your product will end up like this Oops! What I wanted is not this :( Deciding the development team based on few details and settling for lower cost will ALWAYS result in a low quality product that does not match your expectations. THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS Speak to a team about your idea. The details of any idea will not be easy to explain in one conversation. Expect to have multiple discussions with prospective development partners and use as many visual aids as possible. Iteration #1 This looks good, but I want to change: 1. Lets have more ground clearance. 2. Increase the length of car. Iteration #2 This looks better. How about changing: 1. Mirror styles. 2. I want mag wheels. Iteration #3 This looks perfect! :) The right team will always insist on discussing details before giving a quote. The 鍖rst mission of any good team will be to get the idea clearly formed BEFORE any real work starts. A good team should be able to deciper and match 3 things: #1. What you want and have described. #2. What you want but didnt KNOW you wanted. #3. What has not been stated but required for a successful project (The Magic beans). Wireframes come to the rescue in all such discussions. They insure that you and the developer are referencing and visualizing the same objective. Also it is an essential method to see how each feature could be created, in terms of functionality and speci鍖cs. It becomes easier to modify details accordingly and get the combination right. Only once the wireframes agree with the buyers vision should the scope of project be discussed. If you don't run experiments before you start designing a new system, your entire system will be an experiment. After the wireframes are 鍖nalized the idea is run through a similar set of design iterations. Final Wireframes Design Iteration Final Design Final designs are then worked upon and developed into a fully 鍖edged product. THE FINAL RESULT Delivered Product The Idea Yay! This is exactly what I had thought of! :) KEY TAKEAWAYS So to make sure that you are getting what you wanted: 1. Make sure that your description is detailed. 2. Dont rush in to getting quotes. 3. Compare teams against value and not against cost. 4. Spend enough time on analysis before starting development. and remember ALWAYS WIREFRAME! A look at descriptions that dont work Made with Famous last words from many Upwork clients...AMEN!