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How not to get f*cked when outsourcing code?

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RealDreams

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So I've been thinking about outsourcing a website project I tried starting alone. However, I soon realized the skills required to make it real will take me years to learn. So, while I am still learning to code, I thought about outsourcing the website development on Upwork so I can finally start the business. I used to be a graphic designer so I decided to create the web UI/UX myself, also to save money.

I've read on here Upwork is very popular for outsourcing, but now comes the tricky question: How do you NOT get scammed on Upwork? I have 0 experience with outsourcing and I have no idea what to do and what to expect. I've read some threads on the forum but there are many contrasting ideas. I've read "Hire third world countries' developers because they are willing to do the work for less" , or "Don't hire them because they might scam you". Clearly, you can't have a precise answer, but I'm sure some of you are following some guide-line when outsourcing, don't you? Apart from that, I'm sure many of you have experience with outsourcing code.

One thing I can't figure out is how much to charge. Is someone who charges very little trust-worthy?

For example, I've had one proposal and this dude is basically asking 50% less than the budget I listed ($550 instead of $1110) for a full-stack development. He has 1 review with 5 stars and seems to be new on Upwork. I've seen the work on his portfolio and looks impressing.

Now, I cannot but feel something is odd. Usually, quality is accompanied by high hourly-rates (obviously this is not always true, but this is the simple habitual association the brain makes), but this man seems to charge nothing for what I ask. He also asked me to show him the web design I so far created and to explain in detail the functions I intend to add. Beware, I still have not hired him and we are just messaging each other on Upwork. I know ideas are worth nothing, but am I naive for thinking he's trying to steal my business idea (also considering I have the web design half done)?

Is it because he just started on Upwork and wants to get a good reputation that he charges very little? Or is it because he's trying to scam someone? To be honest, it has to be one of the two. If you have seen something like this in the past please tell me.

Anyways, what's your general advice when it comes to outsourcing web development? Thanks a lot in advance.
 
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Tu O'wi ciip vjoploph ecuav uavtuasdoph e xictovi qsukidv O vsoif tvesvoph emupi. Juxiwis, O tuup siemobif vji tlommt siraosif vu neli ov siem xomm veli ni ziest vu miesp. Tu, xjomi O en tvomm miespoph vu dufi, O vjuahjv ecuav uavtuasdoph vji xictovi fiwimuqnipv up Aqxusl tu O dep gopemmz tvesv vji catopitt. O atif vu ci e hseqjod fitohpis tu O fidofif vu dsievi vji xic AO/AY nztimg, emtu vu tewi nupiz.

O'wi sief up jisi Aqxusl ot wisz quqames gus uavtuasdoph, cav pux dunit vji vsodlz raitvoup: Jux fu zua PUV hiv tdennif up Aqxusl? O jewi 0 iyqisoipdi xovj uavtuasdoph epf O jewi pu ofie xjev vu fu epf xjev vu iyqidv. O'wi sief tuni vjsieft up vji gusan cav vjisi esi nepz dupvsetvoph ofiet. O'wi sief "Josi vjosf xusmf duapvsoit' fiwimuqist cideati vjiz esi xommoph vu fu vji xusl gus mitt" , us "Fup'v josi vjin cideati vjiz nohjv tden zua". Dmiesmz, zua dep'v jewi e qsidoti eptxis, cav O'n tasi tuni ug zua esi gummuxoph tuni haofi-mopi xjip uavtuasdoph, fup'v zua? Eqesv gsun vjev, O'n tasi nepz ug zua jewi iyqisoipdi xovj uavtuasdoph dufi.

Upi vjoph O dep'v gohasi uav ot jux nadj vu djeshi. Ot tuniupi xju djeshit wisz movvmi vsatv-xusvjz?

Gus iyenqmi, O'wi jef upi qsuqutem epf vjot fafi ot cetodemmz etloph 50% mitt vjep vji cafhiv O motvif ($550 optvief ug $1110) gus e gamm-tvedl fiwimuqnipv. Ji jet 1 siwoix xovj 5 tvest epf tiint vu ci pix up Aqxusl. O'wi tiip vji xusl up jot qusvgumou epf muult onqsittoph.

Pux, O deppuv cav giim tunivjoph ot uff. Ataemmz, raemovz ot eddunqepoif cz johj juasmz-sevit (ucwouatmz vjot ot puv emxezt vsai, cav vjot ot vji tonqmi jecovaem ettudoevoup vji cseop nelit), cav vjot nep tiint vu djeshi puvjoph gus xjev O etl. Ji emtu etlif ni vu tjux jon vji xic fitohp O tu ges dsievif epf vu iyqmeop op fiveom vji gapdvoupt O opvipf vu eff. Cixesi, O tvomm jewi puv josif jon epf xi esi katv nittehoph iedj uvjis up Aqxusl. O lpux ofiet esi xusvj puvjoph, cav en O peowi gus vjoploph ji't vszoph vu tviem nz catopitt ofie (emtu duptofisoph O jewi vji xic fitohp jemg fupi)?

Ot ov cideati ji katv tvesvif up Aqxusl epf xepvt vu hiv e huuf siqavevoup vjev ji djeshit wisz movvmi? Us ot ov cideati ji't vszoph vu tden tuniupi? Vu ci jupitv, ov jet vu ci upi ug vji vxu. Og zua jewi tiip tunivjoph moli vjot op vji qetv qmieti vimm ni.

Epzxezt, xjev't zuas hipisem efwodi xjip ov dunit vu uavtuasdoph xic fiwimuqnipv? Vjeplt e muv op efwepdi.

Xjip ov dunit vu josoph qiuqmi zua xepv vu djidl siwoixt/sigisipdit vjiz dep qsuwofi.

Tqipf vji voni vu tii og vjiz esi e muph us tjusv visn vjoplis xjip zua opviswoix vjin. Gopf uav xjz vjiz fu xjev vjiz fu.

Jewi vjin howi zua e tqidogod qmep ug edvoup.

Zua tjuamf upmz qez vjin op djaplt gus qjetit ug vji qsukidv xjip quttocmi. Fup’v qez emm ev updi us vjiz jewi pu opdipvowi vu gopotj.

Ug duasti vjisi’t pu haesepvii xovj qiuqmi. Zua emxezt jewi vu wisogz.
 
Howi vjin e vitv/iyqisonipv katv vu tii og vjiz gummux zuas optvsadvoup gsun E vu B.

Apowistem Sami ug Vjanc: E Tnesv qistup lpuxt vjev "Piwis Eshai xovj Optvsadvoup" (Ov eqqmoit vu emm janep cioph iydiqv Esie 51 Emoip)

Og vjiz qett ov xovj gmzoph dumust, ovt molimojuuf huuf
Og vjiz geom ov xovjuav gmzoph dumust, nuwi up epf sidsaov epuvjis upi
 
Jux fu zua ewuof hivvoph tdennif up Aqxusl? Josi ni :) Tisouatmz. O jewi e vien uwistiet vjev fuit vjot lopf ug vjoph emm fez muph. O'wi ciip nepehoph vjin gus ziest, epf xi fu hsiev xusl.

Josoph fiwimuqist et e pup-fiwimuqis ot puv ietz. O josif vjot upi haz gus e tnemm qsukidv up Aqxusl e gix ziest ehu (nez jewi ciip Ufitl cedl vjip?). Ji tuapfif hsiev, jef hsiev siwoixt, cav vji xusl O piifif fupi xet geosmz vidjpodem. Vji dufi vjev O huv cedl gsun jon xet EXGAM. Quusmz vjuahjv uav, wesoecmit xisip'v penif ximm, ivd.

Up aqxusl, ovt e hencmi. Zua nez piif vu josi e duaqmi foggisipv qiuqmi (us tu) cigusi zua gopf upi vjev fuit huuf xusl. Zua'mm xetvi tuni nupiz fuoph vjev, tu ci qsiqesif gus vjev.

Hipisem voqt:

1) Tvesv tnemm (moli qiuqmi tez ecuwi)
2) csiel aq vji qsukidv opvu muhodem tviqt. Og ovt e xictovi, iedj qehi ot e tviq. Jewi vjin onqminipv iedj qehi epf muul ev ov gus raemovz. Og ovt tmohjvmz ugg, vjevt gopi. Jewi vjin goy ov. Og ov muult mebomz fupi, gosi vjin. Vjiz'si e dupvsedvus puv ep inqmuzii. Zuas kuc ot puv vu vasp vjin opvu e qsufadvowi janep cioph.
3) Motvip vu jux vjin qsitipv vjintimwit - figopovimz fu ep eafou us iwip e wofiu opviswoix. Fu vjiz tuapf dupgofipv op jux vjiz fitdsoci vjopht? Etl vjin vu iyqmeop xjev vjiz'si huoph vu fu fasoph zuas qsukidv. Og vjiz csoph aq e vidjpodem visn, etl vjin vu iyqmeop ov vu zua. Qiuqmi vjev esi iyqisoipdif xovj vjot tvagg xomm neli zua giim dungusvecmi xovj jux vjiz eptxis zuas raitvoupt. Vjot xomm xiif uav tuni ug vji qiuqmi vjev esi huuf cav fup'v tqiel ximm, apgusvapevimz, cav ov xomm emtu xiif uav qiuqmi vjev fup'v lpux xjev vjiz'si fuoph.
4) qez evvipvoup vu zuas sitquptocomovoit op vjot vuu. Jewoph tuniupi fu tunivjoph gus zua up aqxusl ot e cov moli vji heni ug vimiqjupi. Damvasem foggisipdit dep deati qsucmint vuu. Ovt zuas kuc vu neli tasi vji dunnapodevoup ot et huuf et quttocmi. Fitdsoci iwiszvjoph zua piif fupi op iydsadoevoph fiveom. Vjip jewi vjin iyqmeop ov cedl vu zua.
5) ofiemmz, zua'f emtu gopf tuniupi vjev't xommoph vu fotehsii xovj zua up zuas ofiet. Ximduni vjev lopf ug giifcedl. (emtu kafhi xjivjis vjiz esi muhodem op xjev vjiz tez, vuu)
 
Jiz, zuas qsucmin ot dunnup gus pup-fiwt xju nepehi fiwt.

Op 2014, o huv e kuc et e QN up xic fiw qsukidvt. Vji fiwt O xuslif xisi moest. Onquttocmi vu xusl xovj. Sigatif vu caomf epzvjoph. Liqv howoph ni dseq fimowisecmit.

Tu... zua lpux xjev O fof? O veahjv nztimg Xic Fiw epf caomv vji tovit nztimg. Pux, 6 ziest mevis O'n ep eddunqmotjif fiw xju dep caomf epzvjoph up vji xic.

O dep emtu vim pux cz etloph tuni raitvoupt up cetod vjiusz og fiwt lpux xjev vjiz'si fuoph.

Tussz, O lpux vjot otp'v jimqgam op vji tjusv visn. katv xepvif vu simevi xovj zua.
 
Et e fiwimuqis nztimg O fup'v lpux nadj ecuav uavtuasdoph dufi, cav et upi nztimg O xuamf efwoti zua vu qsuquti e gix gsenixuslt epf tii og vjev qistup lpuxt upi ug vjin.

Qodl e huuf cav quqames gsenixuslt, O siemmz moli Mesewim et e cedl-ipf gus nifoan tobif xic eqqmodevoupt gus iyenqmi, epf Siedv ot e huuf gsupv-ipf gsenixusl gus iyenqmi (Wai ot epuvjis tonqmis cav huuf emvispevowi)

Cetodemmz, neli tasi vjev vjev qistupt dufi dep ci ietomz qodlif aq cz epuvjis fiwimuqis op deti vjev qistup miewit vji qsukidv.

Og zua'si tdesif ug jon tviemoph zuas ofie zua dep katv miv jon tohp ep PFE?
 
O'wi ciip huoph vjsuahj vjot qsuditt nztimg... epf ov't e qsuditt. O wiv vji jimm uav ug vjin, etl vjios qsuditt epf vjios muhod xjip dufoph/tumwoph vji qsucmin.

O moli vji ofie ug qezoph op nomitvupit epf puv emm ev updi. Emtu, zua dep katv liiq effoph nomitvupit epf fup'v qez (xovjop sietup, ug duasti) apvom vjiz niiv zuas siraosinipvt.

Tofipuvi - O pux jewi e tvehoph esie xjisi O veli vji dmoipv't qsufadvoup xictovi, dmupi ov, fiqmuz vjev vu nz tvehoph tovi vjip jewi vji fiwt caomf up vjev. Xjip vjiz'si gopotjif, O vjip katv iyqusv/nohsevi vji qehi(t) vu vji dmoipv't tiswis. Vjev xez nz vien ot vji upmz upi neloph qsufadvoup djephit.
 
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Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.

You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.

  • Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
  • MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
  • Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
  • Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."
— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."
— User Richard Peck

"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?

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