Elance/oDesk gets ridiculous - but I've heard stories of the Digg prototype being the product of oDesk freelancers and a couple thousand dollars.
Never have found proof/merit to this but I still wonder... anyone know?
"Website like Amazon"
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Re: "Website like Amazon"
#42ActionScript? That's the thing that really threw me....
Re: "Website like Amazon"
#43Elance/oDesk gets ridiculous - but I've heard stories of the Digg prototype being the product of oDesk freelancers and a couple thousand dollars. Never have found proof/merit to this but I still wonder... anyone know?
The Digg prototype was the product of a single freelancer and two hundred dollars.
Re: "Website like Amazon"
#44I think this highlights the interesting lack of fundamental understanding by the general public about software and how complex and expensive it is. Intuitively people understand things like cars and laptops are expensive, time consuming and difficult to build requiring complex tools and machinery. This is not the case with software, where we see time and time again requests like "same as Facebook..." or "Same as Amaz…
Education can also be dangerous in the hands of a potential client. I've had to explain to clients why they were paying what they were paying for a website when one of the owners of the company pipped up saying "But it's just a bunch of HTML, I could do that, so why are you charging us so much?" In this situation, you really want to say "then go do it yourself if it's so easy", but that's not the best way to put it.…
But it's just a bunch of HTML, I could do that
It sounds like you might have the wrong kind of client. I can only recommend reading this great piece by fellow HNer patio11:
http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/09/21/ramit-sethi-and-patrick-...
It's full of gems such as:
The general thing that people find both in pricing products and in pricing services is that at the low end of the scale you deal with people who perceive less value from you, less value from your offering, and have more and more unreasonable demands. Like if you’re writing iPhone apps, you’ll receive reviews like “This 99 cent flashlight app didn’t do my taxes, one star!”
Re: "Website like Amazon"
#45Re: "Website like Amazon"
#46I think this highlights the interesting lack of fundamental understanding by the general public about software and how complex and expensive it is. Intuitively people understand things like cars and laptops are expensive, time consuming and difficult to build requiring complex tools and machinery. This is not the case with software, where we see time and time again requests like "same as Facebook..." or "Same as Amaz…
Agreed, developing software is complex and expensive, I think sometimes we jump the gun in thinking we do actually have to expend that effort. Not referring to this request specifically but sometimes people just need pointing to something like webstore.amazon.com. This may well be a sufficient MVP for a customer who needs an e-commerce presence.
Sometimes it is a lack of communication. A client has no better way to explain what they want than to point to another site they have seen recently and say I need that. They may not need all that, but they want some aspects of it and can't describe it in more technical terms because they lack the experience to do so.
At the same time, we're sometimes quick to take what they say literally and scoff at the rate they want. While some clients really do want what they're asking (and a smart developer will run away quickly in the opposite direction), there's some that are just lacking the knowhow to describe it better. It all depends on if one wants to deal with such clients.
Re: "Website like Amazon"
#47Actually, he wants more than Amazon for $750 to $1000
"I want all amazons catergories plus
#1. Freelance Jobs ( just like fiverr )
#2. Auctions ( ebay catergories )
#3. classifieds ( Craigslist catergories without Personals) need to be able to charge or make free for listings
#4. Forums "
Re: "Website like Amazon"
#48Elance/oDesk gets ridiculous - but I've heard stories of the Digg prototype being the product of oDesk freelancers and a couple thousand dollars. Never have found proof/merit to this but I still wonder... anyone know?
The Digg prototype was the product of a single freelancer and two hundred dollars.
Damn... any links/references to share?
Re: "Website like Amazon"
#49I think this highlights the interesting lack of fundamental understanding by the general public about software and how complex and expensive it is. Intuitively people understand things like cars and laptops are expensive, time consuming and difficult to build requiring complex tools and machinery. This is not the case with software, where we see time and time again requests like "same as Facebook..." or "Same as Amaz…
I've done my share of software developer hiring. And, I've had my share of sticker shock. What always makes it a little more palatable is seeing the number of (man)hours a project will take. People understand wages, and can also easily mentally compare them. When I see what you're making per hour, and it isn't gut-wrenching, it's easier to swallow. Of course, you'll still have to deal with idiots who can't understand…
Unfortunately, working lots of man hours for a smaller or set fee is still tantamount to underpaying. A project where you are overworked is not worth the hassle.
Re: "Website like Amazon"
#50i dont know actionscript :(