Are you looking for a A-level developers that do amazing work?
- Don’t know where to look and/or can’t tell who’s good or not?
I’ll give you a few tips on how to conduct yourself (and your search) so that THEY will be looking for you.
1. Be realistic
Your project has realistic expectations, timelines, and budget.
Are you trying to launch the next Facebook 2 months from now with only $3k budget? If so…GET OUT!
Quality work takes time. Not only execution time, but the planning time before that. And not only planning time but the discovery time before that.
The only way to get a cheap-and-fast quality job is if you have everything spec’ed out and ready to go where literally nothing has to be explained. No back and forth feedback cycles and everything can be done in one shot.
2. Be exciting
Is your product or service truly engaging?
Are YOU personally excited about your work? Are you doing incredible things that change the world? Or is it just another me-too business idea that’s literally like a 1000 other copycats out there?
Here’s a hint…talented developers need challenge. They need something to push their limits. Nobody climbs a big mountain and decides to do a smaller one next. And at the end of it all, they need a project that looks great on their portfolio. Not one that looks like their career took a step back.
Do you really want to get a developer’s attention? Show them who YOU ARE. Show them other million-dollar brands you’ve already built. What other exciting things you’ve done. That you’re not just a dreamer, but a do-er. Let them know you’ve been at this level before. It’s not just brag-speak.
3. Be informed
Do you know the developer? Do you know how development projects go?
Developers hate inexperienced clients sending over long questionnaires:
- How long have you been working?
- What sites have you designed?
- What coding languages and technologies will you be using?
- Will you provide final designs on CD/USB?
- ….blah blah blah blah blah….
Any time I see one of those, I run the other way. Because I know it means a client who:
- A) doesn’t know anything about web development
- B) probably harassing 20 other developers and can’t tell who’s better
- C) will pick one based on price or some arbitrary comparison.
They’re a waste of time for me. I don’t want a client so unsure of themselves that they need to ask 100 questions to know who to hire. When I hire great developers, I can do it in just 3-5 questions easily.
It’s best if you’re already familiar with the developer’s work before you contact them.
4. Be flexible
Talented developers set the terms, not you.
Call them divas if you want but get this straight…they don’t need you, you need THEM. If you’re going to come in with numbers and terms and expect them to bend over backwards to accommodate your mediocre project, that’s not gonna work.
The top developers in the world are ALWAYS BUSY. They are never available. Before they’re even done with one project, they have offers for 5 more. This means they allow bidding, not haggling.
When I’m hiring A-level devs…I find the exact person I want and pay whatever they ask. Simple as that. Sure, there’s an estimate range and but I leave the costs open-ended.
Should there ever be a time when a talented dev has to choose between my project or yours, you can bet I’ll do everything I can to hog all their time. This includes paying them extra, assigning in-house devs or contractors to assist, giving rapid feedback on their timezone, etc.
5. Be appreciative
Developers are artists. Artists want to be appreciated.
They need to know that after all the extra time and efforts sacrificed, that you are happy. That you love their quality of work…that you love THEIR unique influence on your project. They want to see that their work made your project even better than you asked for.
This seems impossible for the average client. Because of unclear expectations, communication issues, and just plain lack of experience. But for me…I appreciate developers before I even hire them. I see every bit of their quality before even contacting them.
And when I finally do reach out…it’s just a simple question:
- I ask, “yes?”
- …and they say “yes”.
No interview. No haggling. Just a collaboration of talent. Game recognizes game.
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