

For the successful non coders - Jweimusic

Ive been trying to hire a developer to help me code a project software and most people have recommended that i use odesk&#x2F;elance. The problem that i have been having is that those sites are polluted with people that randomly bid or say they can do the work but it comes out to be a crappy job or they end up not being able to do it. What other resources have you guys used for finding a developer?
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checker659
Full disclosure: I'm both a programmer and I'm also on oDesk.

My tip is to post your listing on a Friday evening / early Saturday morning.
Since most 9-5 programmers aren't bothered to respond during their free time
(aka the weekends), your chances of finding a passionate / committed
programmer will be much higher then. Also, make sure you put in ample details
about your job on the listing.

Just my observation.

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Jweimusic
Thanks! Would you reccomend that I post a very detail page about what I need
or just a basic outline of it and then discuss further after I see their
qualifications. Each time I make a posting, im always receiving bids from
people from India with nothing on their cover letter but a list of previous
projects they have worked on.

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checker659
If I were hiring, I'd skip the qualifications and ask for a prototype with
every bid. The prototype in itself could be something very simple (I'd give
examples but you haven't mentioned about what it is you want made).

Also, if you want good hackers, you must be willing to pay good money as well
(and be sure to talk about that in your listing as well).

Edit: forgot to answer your question: yes, a decent outline should suffice
most of the time.

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Jweimusic
Thanks again. For example my friend runs a construction company and he is
looking for a web based crm type of system that will help him keep track of
leads and task. What would I ask for in a prototype?

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checker659
Something like a mockup of the main user interface you have in mind, but in
code.

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leknarf
Shameless self-promotion: I run Lambda
([http://getlambda.com](http://getlambda.com)), which is a talent agency for
freelance developers. We're essentially like odesk/elance, but we screen every
developer on the network and we curate a short list of potential developers
for every project.

Instead of posting a description that anyone can respond to, we'd setup a
brief phone call where you and I can discuss your project. I'm a developer
myself, so I help you figure exactly what sort of experience would be best for
your project.

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ondiekijunior
hi jweimusic I understand your predicament. am, or was a non coder. I would
advise you to join codeacademy learn a few basics to simplify what you need,
go to github and SourceForge to see whether there is enough source code/
projects that are similar or can help. then hopefully you can go to oDesk with
a clear plan and clarity on your needs.

