Development workflow Intro
Write requirements as goals and constraints, not screens
Handing over a folder of reference sites gets you a fast quote and the wrong result. Goals, constraints and acceptance — three headings fit on one page.
Technote
What to know before you hire a developer
How a non-technical founder works with technical people without losing money — writing requirements, reading quotes, and accepting delivery, in document form.
8 articles
Development workflow Intro
How to read a quote: scope, exclusions and what comes after
The most important part of a quote is not the number — it is scope and exclusions. Without both in writing, every later dispute becomes an argument about…
Development workflow Practical
Whose name are the domain, the hosting and the repository in?
The single most regretted item in this series. Accounts in someone else's name cause no trouble at all while the relationship is good — and every kind of…
Development workflow Practical
Define “done” before the work starts
Without a completion standard, handover becomes an exchange of impressions. Agreed acceptance criteria protect the client and shield the supplier from endless revisions.
Development workflow Practical
The handover list: what you must receive before it is finished
A site being live is not the same as a site being handed over. Three bundles — files, accounts and documents — decide whether the next person can…
Development workflow Practical
What belongs in a maintenance agreement
If you pay a monthly fee and cannot say what you get for it, the agreement is missing scope and response times. Four clauses make it workable for…
Development workflow Practical
Freelancer or agency: the real difference is continuity
Neither is better. They carry different risks, and the contractual moves that cover those risks are different too.
Development workflow Advanced
Spotting the signals of technical debt without being a developer
You can see debt without reading a line of code. The signals appear first in schedules, conversations and screens.