<![CDATA[Things I regularly find challenging to get prospective clients to understand with software development:]]>Things I regularly find challenging to get prospective clients to understand with software development:

1. It takes far more time than you expect.

2. It costs far more than you expect (a bespoke web app for example is thousands of pounds, if not tens of thousands).

3. There is no such thing as a '2 minute fix'.

4. Companies like eBay, AutoTrader etc. have teams of people like me (no I can't clone their site in 1 month for £200).

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/28d8fa6d-d1de-40b5-81e5-0b04f00e4d22/things-i-regularly-find-challenging-to-get-prospective-clients-to-understand-with-software-developmentRSS for NodeFri, 17 Apr 2026 22:07:12 GMTMon, 13 Apr 2026 08:53:59 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Things I regularly find challenging to get prospective clients to understand with software development: on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:14:31 GMT]]>@pwaring Software development, including web design, is seen as cheap or free by many business types.. ('my son makes web sites').

Getting over that hurdle is the hard part.

TBH that isn't helped by new people starting out undervaluing themselves.. I understand why, truly, but we need to be educating up and coming developers their knowledge is valuable.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.hoyle.me.uk/users/tony/statuses/116396633075788429https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.hoyle.me.uk/users/tony/statuses/116396633075788429Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:14:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Things I regularly find challenging to get prospective clients to understand with software development: on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:10:35 GMT]]>@pwaring if it were that simple, Devs wouldn't work for companies, they would just chuck up some code and roll about in piles of cash.

That is the promise of vibe coding, I guess.

The reality is that the success you have is from the value you provide, and that value takes effort.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://phpc.social/users/richardjh/statuses/116396617577915897https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://phpc.social/users/richardjh/statuses/116396617577915897Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:10:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Things I regularly find challenging to get prospective clients to understand with software development: on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:09:55 GMT]]>The other challenge I have is that I am upfront about the costs and will tell people if I think it will outweigh the benefits.

I suspect a lot of my competitors - especially agencies where a non-technical person is quoting for the work - will be overly optimistic and then when it takes longer or costs more the client already has sunk costs and so will pay for the overrun (or the agency will cut corners).

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.xk7.net/users/pwaring/statuses/116396614999155589https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.xk7.net/users/pwaring/statuses/116396614999155589Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:09:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Things I regularly find challenging to get prospective clients to understand with software development: on Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:06:40 GMT]]>@pwaring I hear that.
The number of people that have a "great idea" that basically boils done to "just build me Facebook for £300"

Then there is the other type where there is a realisation that it will cost money but there is zero intention to actually do any work on the business side, just "build it and they will come" expectation.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://phpc.social/users/richardjh/statuses/116396602221470547https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://phpc.social/users/richardjh/statuses/116396602221470547Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:06:40 GMT