

The Real Cost of Software Development - pytrin
http://www.techfounder.net/2013/02/01/the-real-cost-of-software-development/

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lkrubner
My own take on this subject:

[http://www.smashcompany.com/business/how-much-do-websites-
co...](http://www.smashcompany.com/business/how-much-do-websites-cost)

That was written in 2008, but there is nothing that I would change (although,
some of the anecdotes are clearly shaped by the strange gold-rush mentality
that infected a lot of first-time entrepreneurs, circa 2004-2008). Back then I
was part of a team that helped inexperienced entrepreneurs shape their first
software product (almost always a website). We were getting too many
solicitations from entrepreneurs who had no idea how much things would cost.
They would explain their idea to us and we would say "We can build that for
$50,000" and they would be like, "What?!? Hey, the guy down the street said he
could build it for $500. I'll go with him." So I wrote this essay to help set
expectations for clients. Back then, I was living in Charlottesville,
Virginia, in the USA, and some of the anecdotes are specific to that time and
place.

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pestaa
Well, one conclusion we can draw from the article is that 90% of code is not
considered good by author's standards (which I not only agree with but take
one step further), yet we weren't presented a case in which crap code could be
mitigated.

I mean, when your employers insist on employing the bad engineers because they
talk big jargon, that shows the Real Cost of Stupid Management more than
anything else.

~~~
blablabla123
>yet we weren't presented a case in which crap code could be mitigated.

Is that possible anyway?

I found the communication aspect an interesting point. But I wonder: what if
the non-developers have bad communication skills? And how do you find out?

~~~
pestaa
> _Is that possible anyway?_

I believe so, we just have to train those who write decent code and willing to
get better, and fire those who write and release their crap commercially.

------
gavanwoolery
Crap code really depends on the project. I used to write crap code for clients
(unintentionally, of course!). They did not think it was crap code, but
looking back ten years, I think it was. But the applications did everything
they were supposed to, were stable, and they had a short lifespan so no one
else was going to need to come in and edit the code. Sometimes "gets the job
done" code is the best. :)

