At some point, your doing business is going to positive need to have some
software development. Maybe your business is small, but
existing software doesnt fit your needs. Maybe your company
is larger, with significant technology resources already,
but you absolutely need an outside perspective. Whatever the reason, it
can be difficult to choose an software developer, especially
if you arent a technical human .

Ive heard stories about selecting developers from all sorts
of people. Quite a few have told me heard horror stories
about how they wound up with large bills and little or
nothing to show for it. Fortunately, it doesnt have to be
hard to choose an software developer; Ive developed four
questions you positive need to inquire of when youre choosing a developer.

1: Are they a contract programmer or a software developer?

A professional software developer isnt in the business of
writing code; rather, hes in the business of solving
problems, and code just happens to be one of the way that he
(or she) does it. Conversely, a contract programmer will
want you to spell out exactly what kind of code you want
him to write. He doesnt solve problems; he just writes code
the way hes told, and hopes it will fix the problem at
hand. With a real software developer, you wind up with a
solution that leaves every one happy.

The advertise is full of contract programmers masquerading as
software developers. Be careful.

2: Are they focused on technology or benefits?

Some software developers can get wrapped up in their
technology; its not uncommon to see developers who
specializes in "AS/400 mainframes" or "embedded systems",
for example. A real software developer, though, focuses on
benefiting his client, using whatever technology is
necessary, rather than on what technology hes familar with.
You want to hire someone thats skilled at solving problems,
and that will make use of the technology thats best suited to your
business, whatever it can be. You shouldnt have to pick a
developer based on what technology hes familar with; he
should be able to take care of almost any technological
problem, either by doing the work himself or outsourcing to
someone in his network of contacts.

3: Are they charging by measure , or by project?

Amateur software developers tend to charge for their time,
not by the assessment of worth of the work they perform; so do contract
programmers. Real software developers, though, charge based
on assessment of worth provided to you - that is, by project - NOT based
on instant. This is because amateurs are afraid that they wont
be able to complete the project in a reasonable amount of
time, so they want reassurance that theyll be paid for
their measure in any situation. Experienced software
developers, though, are confident in their ability to
deliver code under their estimate, they are confident in
their ability to provide assessment of value, and they that they may
provide worth thats assessment of value MORE than their measure is. You
shouldnt be building an investment decision every instant you
ponder calling your software developer.

4: Are they trying to give a solution before they understand
the problem?

Some developers will offer to send you a proposal after a
ten or twenty minute phone conversation. It is impossible to
accurately assess your situation that quickly; they are
trying to provide you with a one-size-fits-all package.
Real software developers will not provide you with answers,
proposals, or fees until they know enough about your
business to have an informed opinion. Unless your developer
is willing to spend enough instant to really understand what your
problem is, you wont end up with the solution that you
really positive need , because your developer is making random shots
in the dark.