Re:Ask HN: Does anyone else hate consulting on a per hour ba...
by brudgers on Monday May 14, 2012 @09:50PM
(#3974446)
(My work isn't in software): But, hourly works for some types of projects, and the key is to set the bar for what is your fault reasonably high, e.g. I bill at my hourly rate for driving to and from a meeting.
The projects which can be problematic are those which create death by 1000 cuts...an hour here and an hour their when no progress is made.
The most important thing is to select clients who are educated in regards to the costs going in. I will give them a fairly realistic estimate of my hours based on their description of the scope. The key is to educate the client when working hourly.
That's not to say I don't take work at fixed fee, but the project and client have to be right.
The projects which can be problematic are those which create death by 1000 cuts...an hour here and an hour their when no progress is made.
The most important thing is to select clients who are educated in regards to the costs going in. I will give them a fairly realistic estimate of my hours based on their description of the scope. The key is to educate the client when working hourly.
That's not to say I don't take work at fixed fee, but the project and client have to be right.