Setting the Stage
As a first-time founder, my past endeavors didn't quite take off, but I've gained valuable experience I'd like to share. This includes insights on the timeline of finding talent, the initial costs of getting a project off the ground, and the ongoing expenses that follow.
It's worth mentioning that I've been a product designer for the last 8 years, giving me a fair understanding of the costs involved in software development.
Conversations and the unknown
Throughout my journey in building Emailemu.com, I've frequently been asked about my process for transforming an idea into reality, and the costs involved in the initial development phase. These conversations made me realize that many people remain stuck in the idea phase, overwhelmed by the uncertainty of starting. Common questions included:
-How did you come up with your idea?
-Did you copyright your name?
-Have you opened a business license?
-Did you consult a lawyer?
-Do you have coding skills, or did you learn them along the way?
-How did you find a developer?
-What were the costs involved?
-How do you stay motivated?
-How do you find the time?
This revealed to me that many aspire to turn their side hustle into a full-time venture but are daunted by the perceived need to have all answers and plans in place beforehand. Let me share my experience.
Getting Started
My journey began with finding an idea. I listened to podcasts and engaged in conversations, searching for a minor problem I could address. I've detailed more about this in a separate post on my journey.
After settling on an idea, I turned to Upwork to find a developer who could bring it to life.
While I'm aware of many who learn coding to develop their own software, I chose not to. I believed my time was better spent on design, marketing, and networking, essential for a product's success, rather than spending considerable time learning software development.
Searching for help on Upwork
Shortly after ideating, I posted on Upwork, seeking a software developer with specific skills in Webflow, CMS, filter/search, and video content. I initially set the budget at $250, fully aware it was low, but it was a strategy to gauge the kind of responses I would receive. I made it clear in the job description that the project's budget and guidelines were flexible.
The interview process
With my prior experience in hiring, I had a basic understanding of what to look for in a competent developer. From the ten proposals received, I chose to interview four candidates. My focus during the interviews was on their response time, depth of answers, and confidence in their ability. Communication skills were also crucial, considering I was likely to hire overseas, due to budgets.
I asked them to review my Figma designs and provide a rough estimate. Alarmingly, some quoted only $250, indicating a potential misunderstanding of the project's scope.
Another interviewer looked like a deer in the headlights when I interviewed him and explained the project.
Making the Hire
After the interviews, one candidate stood out. He had a traditional development background and offered valuable suggestions for the project. His confidence and clear explanation made him an obvious choice, despite his quote being higher than my initial budget. I told him I would get back to him within a week or two.
Firing, interviewing, and rehiring
The initial build process of the site, was expected to take 1 month, it took three. The relationship was good with the developer to start off; very well communicated, timely, etc, but as time went on, there were times when they went dark for 3 weeks, and I would hear nothing. This started to really drive me crazy. I also noticed so many of the design asks were off from what was detailed (though a large part of that turned out to be my mistakes)
After a couple of months of delays, miscommunication, etc., I fired the developer and told him to wrap everything up and anything he could not get done by the deadline to make note of.
During this, I posted another job on Upwork, looking to have someone pickup of the work, and got 8 proposals. I posted for ongoing support at 12-40 dollars an hour to see what I would get.
I interviewed a bunch and got some ok results. I hired two people for a 15-20 hour trial period.
The first guy I hired was a disaster he spent 8 hours and never fixed a simple bug of just making an image display within a CMS
The second was a small agency, and they did good work during their 20-hour trial period. I kept them on. They were a little more costly.
I ended up circling back with my old developer shortly after to ask a few questions, and he mentioned they had some time free up and that he knew we had a rocky relationship. So we had a conversation about communication, and I told him he could have one more shot since it was kind of a crap shoot on Upwork this time around.
Interestingly, I reconnected with my original developer. After discussing our previous communication issues, I gave him another chance. We have since moved to meeting once a week, and I have been EXTREMELY detailed on what I need and give hard deadlines. This has seemed to fix our issues.
The Cost
Being aware of the financial commitment, I was prepared to invest in this project. I tried to keep expenses low since it is all self funded by my day job. Here's a breakdown of the costs:
- Initial Website Build: $1,250
- Additional Costs due to Scope Creep: $700
- Additional Development Costs: $2,750
- Ongoing Monthly Costs: $165 - $215 (Totaling $1,119.47 for various services)
To date, I've spent $5,819.47. The monthly costs will increase as the database grows and I start investing in SEO.
Conclusion
That's a glimpse into my experience hiring on Upwork and the financial journey of launching Emailemu.com. What should I delve into next? I'd love to hear your suggestions!
Wyatt