Outsourcing : Bid on website creation

California

have a huge project I've been meaning to do for the past two years, and I realized these past few months that I need to hire someone to help me, who will do a better job. Just to give me a jump start.

Pretty much I need to combine server Stats on a secure website with funds tied to the stats.

But that's not too important to the question. I'm looking at using a site such as Guru.com or codelance.com to get a bid on the project. I'm hoping to describe the project just enough to find someone very qualified without explaining the exact business details.

This project is going to require some research on the specific server setup, combining stats with the secure website even for experienced programmers.

Problem is I don't want the programmer to have any rights to any of this (easy enough, common practice with bids) but also some sort of privacy clause / nondisclosure? Is this possible over the internet? I assume I must fax or mail the NDA and contract for it to be legal, but can I do this over an outsourcing site? How could I do that while using Guru or Codelance?

Also, I was planning on starting the business when I was done setting up everything (at least another six months). Would it be better if I had the business established before I hire someone to work on this project?

If it would be better for me to contact a lawyer I would, but I definatly think it would be a waste at this point.

Face to face...

Nobody...not business, the government, the military, or even NASA...ever does a "fixed price"...bid...project and winds up paying only what the winning bid said they were going to pay. There is always scope creep, overruns, redesigns...something that either makes the price go up or the quality of the product go down. The web sites you mention do have US talent...but they also have "off-shore" programmers. In my humble opinion, having someone who thinks in a foreign language and operates in an entirely different culture trying to understand your needs is a recipe for disaster.

My advice...don't try it...and particularly don't try to get a bid over the internet from someone you don't know.

Find a local company (look in the phone book) that does web site work and talk to them face to face about what you need done. Doesn't have to be a big company, but it should be more than one guy working out of his basement. You want to make sure they have something to lose if the screw up....and somebody to sue if they really screw up. Make sure you meet the person that's actually going to be doing work...look her/him in the eye and ask yourself, do I trust this person with my money. If you haven't got a firm, written set of specifications, don't try to go the "bid" route. If you're not sure exactly what you want, them guessing at what you need and how much it will cost will turn out badly for one of you. If there's any "design" involved, do it on a time-and-material basis, and break the project up to into small managable chunks. "When this is done, I'll pay you for the time spent, and then we'll decide what (and if) you do next".

And yes, get a lawyer to draw up a non-disclosure agreement before you even start talking...and make sure your lawyer looks over any contract that you might sign. You've touched on a very important point...make sure that you wind up owning the software produced.

Thank you very much. I don't mind paying more for better work. Do you know of resources for checking on some of the best programmers in the area? Or do I just need to take a week and check out everybody's previous work?

Can I get a NDA written up without spending hundreds on a lawyer?

This project is going to require some research on the specific server setup, combining stats with the secure website even for experienced programmers.

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Aside from what you've already been told, the above sentences, If it's the scope of your project, should take an experienced programmer no more than two weeks to complete.

And since you life in California, dave's list is an excellent resourse for programmers who do freelance work.

Scope out the project more completely, including DB backend, webserver, platform and programming languages BEFORE you go looking. And if you haven't done scope,design or implementation documents before, hire it out.

You can get a book..

You can get some excellent books on writing your own business contracts...Barnes and Noble have a whole section here in our area. The main reason you might want your lawyer to do it is this...he writes it, he'll defend it.

As for finding a programmer...ask your friends...business friends...who they use. A good recommendation from someone you trust is better than picking blind.

And, the thing you need to watch out for is coments like Belize made..."should take an experienced programmer no more than two weeks to complete"...that's the kind of thing that will get you in trouble. No way in hell he can know what it is you want, or what it is needs doing, but he's ready to tell you how long it will take. That what we call "Name that Tune"...I can name that tune in 4 notes...uh huh...

that's the kind of thing that will get you in trouble. No way in hell he can know what it is you want, or what it is needs doing, but he's ready to tell you how long it will take. That what we call "Name that Tune"...I can name that tune in 4 notes...uh huh...

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Really? I guess my 14 years programming and the last 5 owning my own ASP (actually two, one IPO'd last year) and hiring a total of 136 programmers in the last 5 years, running projects for VISA, RealNetworks and Sun Microsystems with total combined budget of more than $15,000,000.00 has nothing to do with the fact that I offered an opinion.

As for your comments, I ignore stupidity. Or did you not read the specific quote I was referencing? Go read it again and this time try to comprehend exactly WHAT I was responding to.

Geeeez, no wonder I can't find any decent programmers who have their head out of their collective asses.

Thanks Breeze, and idea how much and NDA or contract costs to be written up? I understand the material contracts take to be written up, but what do I need to know for an NDA to be written up besides their personal information. How indepth does the "idea" have to be for it to be forceable?

Just curious...

How's the contract going?