How to cut loose my coder without losing my investment

borzoid

I need some advice from the professionals here. I've had a coder working on a custom niche content management application for me. The package was supposed to be done in February. So far - not only isn't it done we haven't been able to start beta testing yet. I have exhausted my budget with this coder and even offered him a percentage of the profits (in exchange for add ons that will be needed in the future) in hopes that it would light a fire under him.

If I cut him loose and take what is completed and run, are there coders out there who will even touch another coders work? I really don't want to start over if I don't have to.

Also is it bad form to ask for work in trade (I do graphics and logo design) or for a cut of future profits?

I have been hanging on and hanging on, listening to excuse after excuse and am just afraid to to walk away, giving my money away for nothing.

Any guidance from the coders and businessmen on the forum would be helpful.

blackhorse

No one wants to take the project over and finish the works your coder already started. If he is better than your coder, he won't want to degrade his works to think and program as your coder. If your coder is better than him, then how can he finish your coder's work if your coder couldn't do it. It is much easier to write his own codes instead of take over other people's codes and modify from it. If someone told you he would do that, check it out and make the contract very clear so you won't be put in the same position again.

Just my opinion, you would either finish project with your coder (but now put in more money won't help usually) or start over fresh from new coder.

We don't know your project's details, but there are a lot free systems out there and if you can find a system fitting well with your requirements, you may be able to find some coders willing to do small modifications on that system for you in cheap price.

sheephat

Deleted By ME!

borzoid

I agree with your thinking blackhorse and that is why I have held on as long as I have. I tried to do this myself (using open source applications) but do not know enough to code the add ons I need. So I finally broke down and hired someone.

I appreciate the response.

sheephat

It all depends on the script you are using aswell, some are easier than others, i have expierence with Joomla, wordpress, zen cart, vbulleting, smf, php_bb so i would be happy to help you if you posted stuff on the forum.

I'm sure i'm not the only user here who has.

borzoid

Thanks sheephat. unfortunately I will need to cut the current coder lose from our contract and get what I can before I can post any actual code.

sheephat

I have replied to your email.

borzoid

Thank you for the offer sheephat. I think I need something different than what your experience can offer.

blackhorse

just some thoughts from my experience, a wild guess without knowing too much details.

unless you have large fund to support and be able to find a good team to ongoing work on it when it grows. borzoid, it looks like you need a coder as a long term partner (well, your business idea has to be good enough to attact someone, and the coder has to be willing to take the risks like you.) rather than you hire some one to do the coding due to it has your own business idea, custom design requirements, ongoing updates needed. because, it is just start, you already run off the budget.

one mistake people made is assuming the budget is enough if it gets the site start running, once the site running, it could bring money to self support it. you need much budget much bigger than just building the site. when a site begins to make money it could be years later. you have to have the budget to keep the business running and growing before it finally makes you money.

good luck.

borzoid

That is what I am hoping to find - a partner to work on the coding side while I handle the advertising and promotion. Personally I feel the both need for and profit to be earned from this package are compelling enough that I have pursued the start of this for nearly 2 years now.

I will think on what you've said and possibly post my partnership offer to the forum. Thanks again blackhorse.

Bunkermaster

If you light a fire under your coder's buttocks (depending on fire intensity and radiation level) you can asume he did all he could to make your life harder. This can range from obfuscating the code to possible inserting backdoors/errors/security breeches. You have to understand that every coder has his own tricks of the trade (most are really bad and stupid to a galactic level but still).
You are also totally unsure how far you could trust a new coder and how adaptable he would be. Personally when I am given a piece of code, I die a little inside when I start reading. I used to be a lot more patient with other people's code but I saw too much too often.
At some point you have to figure the cost of;
- continuing with that guy until he/if he finishes it,
- taking someone new and start from scratch
- taking someone obviously higher level and make him fiinsh something he would have coded better and probably faster than finishing the existing code
- call it a day
- outsource your need to a professional services company

Many projects go bad. Out of all those projects gone wrong, a healthy portion never complete their task and die out, most of those will go down with part of the stakeholders.

Good luck.

borzoid

Thanks Bunkmaster - yes those are some of my fears. However by lighting a fire under him I meant, I offered him a piece of the profits once launched in hopes that potential future money would get him moving faster.

I made that offer 2 months ago and there has unfortunately been no progress since that I have seen. I hate to think of starting over - the costs and time involved but it's beginning to look that way. I think that maybe I have been too nice and too easy going about delays and now there is no professionalism left in the working relationship.

Bunkermaster

He's probably playing WoW.

Elizabeth

I don't know if I totally agree with blackhorse. While it's true, good (and reliable more importantly) coders are hard to find, but there are plenty out there who are hungry for work. What we "want" and what we "get" as coders are two totally different things, and I think it just takes a bit of patience (and perhaps luck) to find a good coder who will take over the code. I'd say once you cut your current guy loose, you may want to give your next guy a look at the code and let him decide which option (either finishing what's been started or starting over) will be more cost-effective. I agree with Bunkermaster - this type of thing happens all the time, so don't feel bad 🙂

In fact, as an aside, I think that would be an awesome niche for a freelancer - the "clean up guy"... the person you call when you need someone to clean up and finish the project once and for all. Although it's not the most fun job in the world, your services would definitely be in demand and you could afford to charge premium rates 🙂