I'm going to have a phone consultation w/ a programmer to get an idea if we can put some ideas into action and was looking for some ideas of questions to ask, what to look for etc. Thanks for any help!
- Languages worked with ? - Platforms ? - Familiar with the platform you want to use ? - Payment type ? paypal, check, etc ... any payment upfront ?
Does he program in the platform you intend to use? (if that's relevant to you). Past references (basically quality control). How much of the vernacular you use does he understand (he may or may not have a grasp of the terms you use). What's the most difficult thing he's dealt with in past work (not necessarily difficulty coding alone - because if he took a creative approach to a problem that made it easier, that would be good). Check his attitude. If he's really good but a PITA to deal with, skip him.
History of writing applications for other users. It's one thing to write code for yourself, it's something completely different to write code for other users.
you can ask for sample of his work, but that could backfire. Just think for a second, would you want the developer giving away parts of your code to other clients ? The best you are going to do is this: - Get references (although these are fungible) - Type of work the developer has done - How is the payment ? Agree to this upfront by the hour or by the project. This is how I do my development for clients: Agree of estimated cost for the project (with or without source code included) in phases depending on the size of the project. I develop working software and deliver it with a short expiration or simulation restriction without payment. Once the client signs off the component/software, then payment is due as agreed and i release the software.
Make sure you establish milestones and get a very good handle on how much time he is going to put into getting your application together. Then fight to stick with it! This will probably be the hardest thing to do in all of this. You also want to make sure that he understands that it is your baby. Many programmers become protective of their concepts as you get into the project development. Make sure you have the code sent to you at the end of every milestone. Should you need to take over or go elsewhere to get things completed, you'll have the latest version. Make sure you establish version number and sub-numbering for updates. Dedicate a structure development library on your system to keep track of what's what. For your own understanding, document things!