Freelance Camp

gek slap [gi-k sl-app]
noun / verb

1. A socially correcting blow delivered through the demonstration of superior technical knowledge. Denotes playful to serious disrespect for the person being geek slapped as they are just not worthy.

Examples: Shane complained that firefox kept putting œ in his words, which he claimed must be a bug as that character doesn’t even exist. Reid IM’ed him http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Œ, then told him to change his spell-check dictionary back to English from French and to consider himself geek slapped.

Posted in Shane and Peter's Blog

Sometimes I really debate writing about some of our more successful techniques. What if someone actually takes our advice and does something with it? Make our competitors smarter? Then I remember that there really is enough work for all of us (I absolutly believe that) and I unclench my ass.

The fact is that starting a conversation with a stranger is uncomfortable for most people. For the developers I know, it is often more so. After all, they did not choose a people oriented career. The problem we often face when recruiting: How do you make small talk with developers in a public space, get them to come out of their shell and talk to you? Our solution: Hang a sign around your neck.

Most people are quietly wondering “what do you want from me” when you start talking to them out of the blue. It is a fair question. We all usually want something, perhaps friendship, perhaps influence, money, direction or a piece of gum. The easiest way to disarm people is to simple make it obvious what you want. If your interests match theirs, an instant form of trust is built. If not, then no harm no foul, you can quickly dispense of the awkward dance.

So here is how we played it. We went to Google I/O in 2007 looking for developers and hoping to learn a thing or two. Day 1: 37 aborted chat attempts and 2 business cards. Definitely the least social conference I had ever attended. We almost didn’t come back on day two.

You live in Santa Cruz long enough and you eventually figure that our homeless population must have some insight into things. Their sheer volume alone attests to that fact. Downtown has people lined up every 100 feet or so with “Buy me a beer (I’ll buy my own sandwich)” cardboard signs. Perhaps that will change some day, but at the moment, it is a part of the scenery.

So where am I heading (as if you hadn’t guessed from the lead in photo)? Most great inventions are simply taking a successful pattern from one part of your life, your industry or technology and applying it unexpectedly to another.

Peter climbed into my car the next morning with two manilla folders and four pieces of paper on which he had printed “Need Freelance Work?” We taped them together and off we went. We each took one and held it in our hands as we navigated the halls and sat in events. People consistently ask us what we were looking for. We didn’t initiate anything. They approached us. “You looking for Developers?”; “I freelance!”; “Can you tell me more?” and for us, the unexpected “What kind of work are you looking for?” After all, it didn’t occur to us until that moment that the sign read both ways. Day 2: 200+ successful dialogs, 47 cards worth keeping, 3 solid clients leads and 5 prospective devs got interviewed. In short, one good day.

And since then we have used it time and time again. It works. Just make sure you have a pile of cards and have a short spiel ready to go.

Posted in Shane and Peter's Blog

Often I find that when pressures mount my first reaction is to defend myself.  Take, for example, a recent conversation between me and Reid.

Reid: Peter, when you have a moment, I could really use some dev support to spec out a small plugin for one of our clients.  It’ll only take an hour tops and would really help me a bunch.

Peter: I’ll get you some dev support as soon as our dev projects calm down in a couple of months.  We’re working as hard as we can and you’re not the only one who has need you know?  I mean I’ve barely slept in like 5 months and have started to BUY laundry and dishes instead of cleaning them because of these deadlines that we have to meet and oh my god you’re totally STRESSING ME OUT WITH YOUR INCESSANT DEMANDS!  CAN’T YOU SEE THAT WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN? AHHHHHHHHH!

Reid: Um…  I’m sensing that this is not the best time to ask you about this.  When can we talk about this again?

Peter: I’m sorry Reid, I don’t mean to be wigging out so much.  I’m really not that stressed.  But I don’t know when I’ll be able to help more.  I appear to be double booked for every appointment i have over the next 6 weeks and I just can’t think about this right now.  I know it might not seem like it but I’m working really hard and you should know that I’m working hard, can’t you see that I’m working hard?  What more do you need from me?  AHHHHHHHHH!

Obviously this slightly dramatized interaction could be improved.  There are any number of ways to better address Reid’s request, but one stands out to me in particular: an open call for help (possibly paired with some anti-psychotics).

The Jedi Force

It’s a funny thing how people can transform when you invite them to join your side.  It’s the basis of Jujitsu (not that i’m any sort of expert on martial arts).  It’s a founding principal in any long lasting relationship.  It’s a fundamental approach to any conflict.  And above all, it’s my favorite tactic in addressing crowds of surfers.

In the conversation above, Reid makes a reasonable request.  I hear it as a threat to my already limited resources and defend myself.  Reid, with his supreme tact, sees through my defense and continues to approach from a helpful stand point.  If I was talking to anyone else and acting that defensive they would probably also become intensely defensive and we would start a fight.

This could have all been avoided and have a favorable outcome if I simply responded with something like this:

Peter: Reid, I’m under a lot of pressure to meet a bunch of dev deadlines right now.  For me to secure a resource for you I think I’m going to need some help.

At this point I’ve invited Reid to be on my side and work with me to find a solution. He’s on my team now so we’ll both work to find a mutually beneficial positive outcome

Realizing that this is a relatively silly example, I’d like to point out that this scenario can manifest in any number more significant situations.  Shane and I recently defended our contractual expectations against one of our clients at the expense of an otherwise mutually supportive dynamic.  As it turned out, all we really needed to do was to ask for help.  In my personal life, Lindsey and I have to relearn this lesson again and again with each other.

Cheers In the Sea

When I go surfing I’ve come to adopt a strategy of cheering people on and openly offering waves to people sitting next to me.  The effect is that I become a friend.  When a wave comes my way, I don’t feel like I have to fight for it.  People turn and flag me in and cheer me on in turn.  My life is better when I can help people feel good and maintaining transparency.

Love without Arms

Lindsey and I have had our share of relationship challenges.  From day 1 until now, 11 years later, we’ve overcome our biggest and smallest challenges alike by asking each other for help.

Recently I was growing frustrated by an increasing share of responsibility in our family.  My calls for help were buried in aggressive and disparaging comments.  At some point I got really upset and in the process set Lindsey’s defenses off.  At that point we are fighting each other all the time.  Life sucks when we’re always upset.

I wish it had occurred to me earlier.  All I needed to do was to ask for help; to appeal to Lindsey’s compassionate side.  The moment I let her know that all I needed was some help, she jumped onto my team and we launched into a coordinated effort to breath joy and passion into our lives.

Wanna be Right or Happy?

Maybe you can be both right AND happy.  Try asking for help, spreading some cheer, or commenting in my blog post.

Posted in Shane and Peter's Blog

Two weeks ago, Peter & I finally stepped out on a long overdue corporate retreat. We have been running in survival mode since my daughter Serenity was born in March. A busy company, little sleep and a smaller (but much wiser) management team caused us to focus upon our clients, but severely limited our time to put thought into the business itself.

Despite all the possibility for disaster, projects went relatively smoothly. We learned a few good lessons and as a result, our terms and conditions grew.  Time to update the old contract.

It Doesn’t Matter What Your Contract Says if They Don’t Understand It.

We may build software and create intricate designs, but we are neither a software company nor a design company. Those are just tools of the trade. We are a service company. The goal is to help our clients be successful. Our business thrives on happy customers and the referrals they generate.

So, when the day comes in which the client understands thing one way and our contract said something else, who is actually correct? Technically our contract is the final word. It is a valuable safety net. But that is its secondary purpose. When it comes down to running a long term healthy business, working with a client is much like being married. It is a long running set of compromises. My wife often says things to me (while I am focused and working) which I never hear. Later when we find ourselves arguing, who is at fault? Is it her fault for thinking I was engaged when I clearly was not? Was it my fault, as I did not take the time to stop what I was doing and giving her my full attention. In one short word: Yes. But does it actually matter whose fault it is? Not really. What is vital is that communication resumes.

The purpose of a contract is to facilitate communication (and be there as a fall back in case it breaks down completely). I am completely indebted to Reid for reminding me that we need to walk our clients through each item in the contract. The greatest value we have ever received from our contract is the discussion surrounding our terms and conditions. It is when the expectations are set, determining how we will work together.

Tricky issues such as response time, hosting up time, getting hacked and more are all things we faced in the last 6 months. Most of them would have easily been resolved with an early conversation and a little documentation for later. We may have had clauses (or not) to address them, but the understanding reached from a discussion is what actually created the sense of trust that a contract should, but rarely if ever creates.

So what changed?

A lot. In some ways, I am a touch sad to have to add this level of bureaucracy to our contract. Not all of these items make it into each contract (hosting for a design gig makes little sense), but forewarned is forearmed.

Response Time

Shane & Peter, Inc. works exclusively with Independent Contractors. The benefit of a flexible team is rapid scalability and a diverse set of services. Due to the nature of the business model, Shane & Peter, Inc. is not set up to support on call services. Within the duration of this Contract Shane & Peter, Inc. will make every effort to reply to inquiries within 48 hours except where The Client has been previously notified of a period of limited availability. Shane & Peter, Inc. will respond in good faith but cannot guarantee any specific action within a given time frame.

Dependencies

In the event that any aspect of this Contract is dependent on a separate third party or the Client’s in house team, the quality and punctuality of the Finished Product(s) may be subject to said party’s ability to meet the required time lines and/or level of quality. Shane & Peter, Inc. is not responsible for any delay or defect caused by separate third party or the Client’s in house teams.

Hosting

Shane & Peter, Inc. does not provide Hosting services beyond temporary internal development environments. The Client is responsible for choosing, paying for, and maintaining any required Hosting solutions and associated services. As a courtesy, Shane & Peter, Inc. may offer suggestions, however, Shane & Peter, Inc. is NOT responsible for down time, poor performance, or loss of data caused by the Hosting Provider. Additionally, Shane & Peter, Inc. is not responsible for any bug caused by changes on the Host after the Acceptance of this Contract, including but not limited to updates to operating system, compile systems, code libraries and languages, or any changes resulting from security violations.

Backups

Shane & Peter, Inc. maintains internal backups of active project code and design files. This backup system is not intended as a solution for The Client, rather as a code archive through the duration of this Contract. While the Shane & Peter, Inc. backup system is fully redundant, it is not guaranteed and does not support any content produced by the Client. The Client is solely responsible for the Backup and Restoration of the Finished Product(s) and any associated data.

Security

Although Shane & Peter, Inc. makes every effort to provide secure Finished Product(s), due to the nature of rapidly advancing technology, Shane & Peter, Inc. can in no way guaranty that the Finished Product(s) will not be subject security breaches. Shane & Peter, Inc. recommends the use of strong passwords and the observance of standard security practices. In order to minimize the chances of security violations, systems should be updated often. The Client is solely responsible for tracking software updates. Any updates during the life of or after the expiration of the Contract can be negotiated as an addendum to this Contract or as an additional Contract.

Review, Expiration or Cancellation

This Contract is valid for the calendar year of in which it was signed, upon which point it expires. Upon expiration, both parties may review and amend the Contract and decide whether or not to renew. This Contract may be terminated by either party with a full 30 day written notice. All payments will be due and all work will be submitted upon the termination of Contract.

Steal What You Like: Caveat emptor

Don’t have a contract of your own or want to steal some juicy bits? Go ahead and borrow ours. OBVIOUSLY, we are NOT liable for whatever mess you get yourself into. Yes, our lawyer went though ours. But her job is to represent our interests, not yours. We just share out of the goodness of our hearts.

In short: Caveat emptor

Download: Shane & Peter Inc Contract Template

Please let us know if you find any errors, have suggestions or things we may have not considered!

Posted in Shane and Peter's Blog