I've had a couple of conversations here with guys who are looking for a web developer. The one thing they all have in common: the hunt for a low hourly rate.
Which is not a good idea.
Much more important than the hourly rate is: how much do you pay in total and how much do you get out. If you get the feature you always wanted for €200, what do you care if it took a guy two hours at €100 or another ten hours at €20?
The thing is, there is an important difference between these two developers. The guy for €100 is actually the better deal.
There is a huge range when it comes to the skills of developers. Somebody with a decade of experience will pull off in half a day what takes a rookie fresh out of college all week. And our senior developer has seen a lot in his career. He knows the pitfalls and no-nos. The college grad doesn't.
For 20 bucks an hour the rookie will deliver a slow and insecure maintenance monster that will haunt you for years.
You wouldn't let a fresh graduate build your house. Why would you let one build the website that will be the foundation of your business?
To summarise the two most important points:
1. Developers with a high hourly rate might be cheaper in total, because they need considerably less time.
2. Developers with a high hourly rate are more likely to deliver quality work that pays for itself over time.
Which is not a good idea.
Much more important than the hourly rate is: how much do you pay in total and how much do you get out. If you get the feature you always wanted for €200, what do you care if it took a guy two hours at €100 or another ten hours at €20?
The thing is, there is an important difference between these two developers. The guy for €100 is actually the better deal.
There is a huge range when it comes to the skills of developers. Somebody with a decade of experience will pull off in half a day what takes a rookie fresh out of college all week. And our senior developer has seen a lot in his career. He knows the pitfalls and no-nos. The college grad doesn't.
For 20 bucks an hour the rookie will deliver a slow and insecure maintenance monster that will haunt you for years.
You wouldn't let a fresh graduate build your house. Why would you let one build the website that will be the foundation of your business?
To summarise the two most important points:
1. Developers with a high hourly rate might be cheaper in total, because they need considerably less time.
2. Developers with a high hourly rate are more likely to deliver quality work that pays for itself over time.
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