Has anyone done a te
[2022-09-08 04:14:09 PM] : Has anyone done a tech assessment of a project? I have an opportunity to do one and I'm not sure how much I should charge.
The problem, as stated by the potential client is that they have 2 Rails/React/GraphQL apps, both being developed by one company, "but our speed to develop is terribly slow and I’m looking to potentially bring dev resources in house."
I asked for more details and they want "a complete technical architecture, speed of development, number of developers required to accomplish the roadmap, assessment of the developers on board, and providing guidance on how to accomplish the next phase of our project."
This sounds similar to alex’s fixed price discovery project that he tweeted about, but I think the scope is a bit bigger since I'll have to read through the code in 2 apps, among other things.
Thoughts on how to approach this? I think the difference with Alex's approach is that I don't think I'm interested in implementing some of the solutions. For example, if the code is not tested or poorly tested, I would only provide recommendations, not offer to write the actual tests.
So what I'm thinking now is to have a meeting to understand the problem, what the dev process looks like, their desired outcome, and a specific scope, and then come up with a fair price for the assessment. Since I've never done a formal assessment like this before, I'm not sure what something like this would usually cost. I was initially thinking $5000.
1 Reply
[2022-09-09 11:52:41 AM] : What is this worth to them? What happens if the don't do it? What does doing this enable for them?
[2022-09-09 01:53:19 PM] : I’ve seen it done but only as part of larger proposal, where stage 1 was the discovery. This was for a large client and the discovery phase took weeks and was $X0.000 if memory serves me well.
This model might work well for your client as well. You said you didn’t want to do the implementation for them, but would you be willing to consult for them on retainer from a product manager / scrum master type role?
How about:
option 1: 5k — one time event — code review, documenting current system architecture, desired system architecture and providing some hints to get to desired state. In short anything that’s a feasible outcome from a one time engagement.
option 2: 10k — everything in option 1 + interview all developers + give them a process to follow and 4 days of consulting as follow-up (1day / week) to make sure the development team is on the new track
option 3: 15k — everything in option 2, but with 8 days follow-up. Then additional consulting on retainer at your preferred rate.
The scenario you’re describing with a client not being happy with the outsourced developer and now hiring an outside consultant to figure things out sounds like a client that doesn’t have technical know-how and thinks that a document is going to save them now. But in reality, they probably need ongoing help to develop that competency in-house.
In any case, I’d also try to set expectations with the client of what can be done in a one-time engagement (i.e. reviewing current codebase) and what can’t be done with one observation (i.e. determine development speed and ‘number of developers required’)
[2022-09-11 08:20:06 PM] : Those are some great comments and suggestions. Thanks! I'm setting up a meeting to dig deeper into the current state of affairs, how much it's costing them, their ideal outcome, and then come up with a price based on value.
[2022-09-13 12:05:29 PM] : just getting back after vacation to see this, and I don't have a lot to add besides a +1 to Marius's suggestions!
[2022-09-13 12:06:31 PM] : I'd also add that with my fixed price discovery projects, they don't always end with implementation as a goal. these days, that's rarely the case for me. they're just buying recommendations.
[2022-09-13 12:10:05 PM] : only if I really think I'll enjoy working with them in some way, i might offer some kind of ongoing support. but the discovery helps me decide if I even want to offer that.
[2022-09-13 12:10:14 PM] : curious what you decide(d) and how ti goes!
[2022-09-22 10:01:30 AM] : The potential client ended up going with someone else. They had originally emailed me right before I was going on vacation, and they said "let's chat when you get back." When I got back, I asked if they still needed help, and didn't hear back for a week. So I sent a follow-up email, which is when they said they found someone else and would be in touch if it doesn't work out.