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fd15fbff
Community Member

Fixed rate

Hello.

I'm a little confused with the milestone system. I have a complex project but the outcome is simple. the freelancer can either create the software or not, doesn't matter how many hours he may spent on working on the project.

Is it possible to create a fixed rate that I will only pay once the job is done and I recieved the completed software?

I just don't want to be charged just because the freelancer spent hours trying to complete the project but couln't finish it.

5 REPLIES 5
prestonhunter
Community Member

Soul: Respectfully, what you describe is a recipe for failure. You can't create anything but an extremely simple, insignificant software application with this kind of all-in-one approach. A successful approach to developing software uses hourly contracts. Or, at the very least, many modular fixed-price milestones/contracts.

 

Is it possible to create a contract such as you describe?

 

Yes.

 

But I don't recommend it unless the project is very simple. Which does not apply to you because you said your project is very complex.

martina_plaschka
Community Member

you should simply not award the project to a freelancer you don't completely trust. You have many possibilities to establish trust before you award the contract, such as studying the freelancers profile, his/her portfolio, personal interviews, etc. 

If you hire a person, though, you must pay them for the work they delivered, to decide in the end, that you are not satisfied and not pay at all, seems quite unfair and even a bit unethical to me. 

bobafett999
Community Member


@Soul M wrote:
I have a complex project but the outcome is simple. the freelancer can either create the software or not, doesn't matter how many hours he may spent on working on the project.

 

Is it possible to create a fixed rate that I will only pay once the job is done and I recieved the completed software?

I just don't want to be charged just because the freelancer spent hours trying to complete the project but couln't finish it.

 

In addition to this being the receipe of failure, what you area asking the freelancer to work on his own dime, give you the results and then you decide if that works to your statisfaction or not and only then you will pay.

 

Try doing that in real world.  No prgrammer will touch your project without a substaintial upfront down payment.  But when buyers come to Upwork they think of Upwork as a vending machine.  What you are asking is worse than vending machine the analogy.  You want your soda can first, taste it and then only you want to plop coins.

 

Try posting the job.  No good programmer will bite.

 

Not long ago there was this guy who wanted to do the same.  He was even willing to pay 2-3 times more for a project that he had estimated would take about 4 months.  He came here asking why no one is submitting proposals to his posting.


 

Soul:
We really do want you to succeed.

And we want you to be able to get the app you want developed while saving money and saving time.

 

To genuinely save money and time, you may need to work with a project manager. She can handle most of these details for you.

 

Whether you work with a dedicated independent project manager or take on this role yourself, you will want to have demonstrated success frequently. I would say at least every week. Some projects have an even faster pace, demonstrating success every few days, or every day.

 

What is the first part needed for your project? Get that done. Make sure it is right. Make sure the quality meets your needs. Make sure it can be demonstrated and tested. Pay for that and then go onto the next part.

 

Or have multiple people working on different parts simultaneously. Each piece should be demonstrated and tested.

 

It does not matter if the same person does everything. It does not matter if people who start on this project are around when the project is over.

 

What matters is that your project works. And you want all of its parts to work.

 

If you strive for success immediately, right from the start (starting this week, even), then you can continue that pattern until the end. That is a development process that can work. You don't want to postpone success until the end of the project - a year from now. If you do that, true success may never come.

@Preston:  What you are describing is the process an Entrepreneur would follow.  However, if you are a Wannapreneur you want other's to take the risk to implement your ideas (sometime valid most times stupid) at zero cost to you.

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