This document explains graphically a typical hiring scenario on Upwork, it's consequences and also suggests the right way to start with app/software development.

1. Like every other buyer, I’ve had my success as well as some
misses (especially when I hired for the first time).
I made this presentation from my experience to help fellow buyers.
Reading below will help you understand 3 things:
1. The psychology of Upwork sellers who would take your project
and turn it into a mess.
2. Why you should not take hiring decision in a hurry.
3. The early signs that things may not work out....
“WE just wanna get started”
A COMMON HIRING SCENARIO FOR NON TECH FOUNDERS
To make sure that every reader can associate himself with the
situation, lets consider you are looking to get a sedan car built.
I want to get a
Red Sedan Car built
You post a description that you seem to cover this:
-> Need a Sedan car.
-> Red color.
-> Flag on the door.
(As Upwork says, hire in less than 5 minutes)
Your post is out there & sellers start submitting their bids based on their
understanding. Since there are 100s who want the job, there is a mad rush
to submit a low cost against the post.
Remember: Ambiguous job
description will ALWAYS return
a wide range of proposals and
estimates
Trivia: I once posted just my
name and still got 30+ quotes
:)
The conversation will often lead to estimates that vary from hundreds
to thousands of dollars. The results leave you confused as to why there
is such a difference in the price and whom to choose?
$10000
$8000
$12000
$6000
Yay! I think I will
go with the
lowest price
As no team took the pains to understand what you really wanted,
the end product often partly matches what you wanted and
partly what could be created for the quoted budget.
There is a 90% chance your product will end up like this
Oops!
What I wanted
is not this :(
Deciding the development
team based on few details and
settling for lower cost will
ALWAYS result in a low quality
product that does not match
your expectations.
THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS
Speak to a
team about
your idea.
The details of any idea will not be easy to explain in one
conversation. Expect to have multiple discussions with prospective
development partners and use as many visual aids as possible.
Iteration #1
This looks good,
but I want to
change:
1. Lets have more
ground clearance.
2. Increase the
length of car.
Iteration #2
This looks better.
How about
changing:
1. Mirror styles.
2. I want mag
wheels.
Iteration #3
This looks perfect!
:)
The right team will always
insist on discussing details
before giving a quote.
The first mission of any good team will be to get the idea
clearly formed BEFORE any real work starts.
A good team should be able to deciper and match 3 things:
#1. What you want and have described.
#2. What you want but didn’t KNOW you wanted.
#3. What has not been stated but required for a
successful project (The Magic beans).
Wireframes come to the rescue in all such discussions. They insure
that you and the developer are referencing and visualizing the same objective.
Also it is an essential method to see how each feature could be created,
in terms of functionality and specifics. It becomes easier to modify
details accordingly and get the combination right.
Only once the wireframes agree with the buyer’s vision
should the scope of project be discussed.
If you don't run experiments
before you start designing
a new system, your entire
system will be an experiment.
After the wireframes are finalized the idea is run through a similar
set of design iterations.
Final Wireframes Design Iteration Final Design
Final designs are then worked upon and developed into
a fully fledged product.
THE FINAL RESULT
Delivered Product
The Idea
Yay!
This is exactly what
I had thought of! :)
KEY TAKEAWAYS
So to make sure that you are getting what you wanted:
1. Make sure that your description is detailed.
2. Dont rush in to getting quotes.
3. Compare teams against value and not against cost.
4. Spend enough time on analysis before starting development.
and remember
ALWAYS WIREFRAME!
A look at descriptions that don’t work
Made with
Famous last words from many Upwork clients...AMEN!