Frequently Asked Questions

• Who will I be working with?

  I'm Dima, a Canadian software devleoper. You can find out more about me on the about page. But the most important things are 1) I have over a decade of experience building complex software projects rapidly, 2) I'm a native English speaker, and 3) I reply to questions fast. You might like to contact me.

• What timezone are you in?

  I live in Europe and travel a lot. But since my clients are typically in North America (and much of my family lives near Toronto), I'm most responsive on Eastern Standard Time.

• Do you work alone or with other people?

  Unless I get swamped, I work alone. Since I'm working on MVPs that need to get up and running rapidly, I find working alone is faster than getting other developers up to speed. I like the adage, "it takes a woman 9 months to make a baby, but that doesn't mean 9 women can make a baby in a month."

• Why don't you work on already established long term projects?

  I used to, but I get bored doing routine maintenance tasks. I love helping clients quickly take a project from zero to one in a predictable, maintainable way. After that I hand it off to developers who prefer stability and routine.

• Can I see some examples of your work?

  Absolutely. I've worked on MVP projects in multiple industries. Some of those projects are locked down and can't be discussed, but others are open and public, and I'll be glad to share them. Drop me a note, and I'll send over some examples.

• What if my client's project is too big for one developer?

  That's possible, but I'd recommend cropping it down to the bare minimum that constitutes an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). That would likely fit easily into the work of an experienced solo developer.

• How do I communicate with you? Phone? Email?

  While setting up our project, we communicate by phone mostly (or video chat a couple times to meet each other "face to face"). After that we communicate by email mostly, or Slack for quick one-off questions during the work.

• What technologies do you use for this?

  You can review my detailed tech stack on the technologies page. Suffice it to say, I use a modern tech stack that makes it easy for your clients to hire qualified developers and build on additional features without having to start from scratch.

• Do you charge by the hour?

  No, hourly billing is what incentivizes your developer to stretch out a project and encourages "scope creep". Instead, during our discovery calls I determine your project scope and give you a fixed price. You can budget for precisely that price, because it's never going up, no matter how many hours I work.

• Will you sign an NDA?

  Probably not. For one-off projects like MVPs, it usually doesn't make sense to get lawyers involved. But if your client's work is truly exciting or helpful to society at large, I might sign an NDA so I can do some good in the world by working with you and them.

• Do you build Wordpress websites?

  No, I help your client get OFF of Wordpress. Although sometimes that means building an MVP that serves as a component that integrates deeply with your client's existing Wordpress website. Whether Wordpress or something custom, the idea is to give your client tools that they can maintain, edit, and extend by themselves.

• What is your pricing like?

  You can review the details on the pricing page. I have fixed pricing packages, so you (or your client, if you choose to tell them) always know exactly what you're getting and what you're paying, with no extra fees or surprises. You can pay in phases during the project, or save substantially by making a single up-front payment.

• What sort of protections do I have in case things go wrong?

  Well things don't typically go wrong when there's clear communication at every level. That's our starting point. But for peace of mind, you're backed my 100% Money-Back Guarantee.

• Why is the price of the 'Trial Tier' much lower than the other two tiers?

  A Trial PoC (proof of concept) project is a low-cost way for you to validate that I can deliver what I promise, when I promise, while communicating in plain native English along the way.
  
  The 'Micro Tier', a standard MVP, is for clients who need to get a web app up and running quickly, while keeping the feature-set to the extreme minimum and requiring little support after delivery.
  
  The 'Professional Tier' B2B MVP is for clients who prefer the peace of mind of having extended documentation and support, even after the code is in their hands. It includes more complex elements, such as user authentication & roles, advanced visualizations and complex calculations and reporting.

• If my client & I choose a low-cost tier, can I upgrade afterward?

  Yes! If you choose initially to build a PoC project, for example, and then opt for a higher tier, I'll subtract the price, so you don't end up paying double.

• What if we need ongoing support or upgrades?

  For the 'Profesional Tier', I offer ongoing email support for 30 days after the project has been handed off. That means bug fixing, small content or layout tweaks, etc
  
  If your client requires that level of support more than 30 days after hand-off (e.g. if they haven't hired their own long-term developers yet), they can purchase a monthly support pack for 1,500/mo.
  
  I am an MVP developer, and the assumption is that my code is clean and modular, and meant to be handed off to your client's own full-time developers eventually.

• Do we have to pay everything up front?

  No, you can pay in 3 phases if you prefer (project start + demo 1 + hand off). Although note that paying up front all in one go comes with a 20% discount. And you're protected by my 100% money-back guarantee.

• Does your pricing include UI/UX Design as well?

  If your client already has a designer or well-designed wireframes, I'll be working toward matching that existing design.
  
  And yes: I have over a decade of experience developing attractive and functional dashboards and web applications, so I will apply solid UX design principles to your client's project.
  
  That said, I am a full stack web application developer, not a professional designer. If your client is an industry in which UI/UX is paramount, I'll work closely with their designer of choice.

• Do you offer hourly, daily, or weekly billing?

  No, time-based billing incentivizes service providers to stretch out projects for as long as possible.
  
  I want to be incentivized in the opposite direction: getting your project done and handed off to your client, so they can use it to develop their business.
  
  For that reason I keep our MVP project scopes tight, give you a predictable flat project cost in advance, and never bite off more than I can chew.

• What if my client suddenly changes their mind about what they need to build, while in the middle of the project?

  I use the technologies I do because they allow for rapid development and sudden course corrections. I'll work with you and your client to figure out how to make adjustments, even in the middle of the project.
  
  If the scope changes significantly, I'll help you convince your client to prune it back down to an MVP.
  
  In the worst case (e.g. too much scope creep and an intractable client), you can rely on my 100% money-back guarantee and simply hit the eject button.

• Will you discuss your pricing or budgets with my clients (in my presence or behind my back)?

  No. Pricing is between you and me. You can charge your client at your own rates, and if they ask me about my rates, my policy is to refer them back to you.

• How soon after you receive payment will you start the project?

  Our project work begins within 2 calendar weeks after your payment is received, sometimes sooner.

• How do we make payment?

  Like most service providers, I use Stripe's industry standard bank-grade encryption to process your credit card. I do not accept PayPal payments. I can also provide bank account details if you'd prefer to make a direct transfer.

• What is your refund policy?

  I offer a 100% money-back guarantee, minus Stripe's own fees (which I have no control over).
  
  If your client suddenly goes AWOL in the middle of a project and you find yourself needing to hit the eject button, I'll help you recover.