The Cost of a Project

I just got back from the supermarket. While leaving with my groceries, I overheard the following conversation: Come on, you even teach while sitting - that's such a lack of motivation!I do what I got paid to do.So, if you were earning X extra every month, you would be more excited?Sure. The Human Motivation There are various psychological research studies out there on human motivation, the bounders one would like to reach, the progressive lust for more and so forth, but it was an honest and valid response. Normally I would argue because it's a lousy job in a way… Continue Reading

Why Are Estimates Challenging For Custom Development Work?

I've been browsing and replying on Quora over the holidays and one of the questions made me think deeper about the estimation challenges when quoting custom development work: At DevWP I've already blogged about why I avoid estimates and the reason we do provide retainer services for our ongoing accounts. I'm no stranger to budget constraints and upfront expectations, but unlike the products business, services may vary drastically. [caption id="attachment_12201" align="aligncenter" width="1241"] dilbert.com showcases estimates in a nutshell[/caption] In the Quora example, the customer needed a drawing solution for his website. However, there are plenty of variables, such as: What features… Continue Reading

WordPress Salary Requirements Revealed and Company Pricing Breakdown

A known problem in the WordPress industry are the $500 projects and hundreds of thousands of clients looking for free and warez plugins and themes, unwilling to pay a few pennies for a premium solution, and completely baffled by any estimate that is equal to the actual salary of a developer. They often proceed with DIY solutions or site builders, and don't understand the cost of building a professional solution that is scaled for growth, stability, compatibility, speed and security. And some customers simply don't need a professional solution - they're just starting and haven't faced the challenges of a… Continue Reading