Working with Programmers Blog

Cheap developers can be expensive

Avonelle Lovhaug — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 03:48:01 GMT

A question I get regularly from my customers is along the lines of “what does this feature do?” or “how ...

Why are you changing your software?

Avonelle Lovhaug — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 04:57:28 GMT

It seems to me that there are 4 different types of changes to existing software:

Regulatory – changes needed due ...

The disappearing customer

Avonelle Lovhaug — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 04:49:15 GMT

Unfortunately, the disappearing customer is not any better than the disappearing programmer during a development project. When a customer doesn’t ...

Do you need high responsiveness from your consultant?

Avonelle Lovhaug — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 05:14:08 GMT

Not all businesses do, but it can certainly come in handy. I recently got a call from one of my ...

The disappearing programmer

Avonelle Lovhaug — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 03:43:19 GMT

If you looking for someone to build an application for your business, the last thing you need is a Houdini ...

Can you leave your application on legacy technology? A cautionary tale

Avonelle Lovhaug — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 03:13:30 GMT

Legacy technology is always a tricky question. Constantly re-writing applications so that they are using the latest and greatest technology/framework/etc. ...

Trust and Efficiency–Yes, that is the point

Avonelle Lovhaug — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 05:23:55 GMT

This piece on charging hourly for programming services really nails it, I think. Programmers often get bogged down in fears ...

Is getting "ripped off" by a programmer likely?

Avonelle Lovhaug — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 06:34:51 GMT

This article at Entrepreneur.com offers tips to avoid getting "ripped off" by a freelance developer. While I find the term ...

Software Maintenance is the Most Important Phase

Avonelle Lovhaug — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 10:00:00 GMT

It is easy to assume that the most important phase of a software development application's life cycle is the beginning, ...

Good programmers don’t all look alike

Avonelle Lovhaug — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 05:07:17 GMT

A lot of people think that the best programmers have the same attributes, like…

They keep odd hours, working well ...

Inexperienced? Perhaps an offshore resource isn’t the best choice

Avonelle Lovhaug — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:29:40 GMT

A customer last week told me that one of their partners has hired a freelance programmer in China from a ...

The Great Disappearing Act

Avonelle Lovhaug — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 05:35:05 GMT

“Everything was going great but then he became slow to answer my requests and now he’s disappeared entirely,” the prospective ...

Too much flexibility can be dangerous

Avonelle Lovhaug — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:40:24 GMT

One of my customers LOVES to ask for configuration options. Often when I ask “do you want that implemented as ...

Want better results from your programmer? Communicate your goals.

Avonelle Lovhaug — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:11:56 GMT

The best developers are consultative. They can work with you to help you achieve the best results for your business....

How much of a difference does hiring the RIGHT person make?

Avonelle Lovhaug — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 06:58:55 GMT

Not sure it's worth the added time and effort to make sure you are hiring the right programmer? Here's an ...