In the Internet era of information acceleration, more and more technology companies begin to distribute some of the business modules in the project to third-party outsourcing companies in order to focus on the core competitiveness business and reduce the cost of software projects. Does this mean a significant reduction in costs?
The facts tell us that they are not.
The author, as an outcontractor, tells us with his own experience a static HTML page that could have been completed in three days for just $1500. How big companies have dragged them into a seven-week project that costs $18000.
Author Ibrahim Diallo, software engineer with many years of development experience
Translator, Wang Yanni, responsibility, Tu Min, Tu Min.
Production / CSDN (ID: CSDNnews)
Original text https://idiallo.com/blog/18000-dollars-static-web-page
Not long ago, I worked as a contractor and often jumped from one project to another. Some are short-term, work about a week, can quickly submit the results of my work. There are also projects that last for months, during which time I save some money to take a break.
I prefer short-term work because it allows me to charge a higher fee per unit time. Not only do I feel like I'm working for myself, but I don't think I need to work too hard to live a decent life. My maximum rate is still within a reasonable range, and I always provide high quality service. This is the status of my work before I set up this project with a big company.
The company was in a hurry when it contacted me, and the manager told me they needed someone to fix it right now. You need someone who doesn't need company training to get started right away and deliver maximum performance. Anyway, that happens to be my motto. This project is my favorite type of work. It is short, will soon be done well, and the reward is very high.
After negotiating the appropriate rate, I received an email containing instructions. They gave me more background on the project. Their developers leave without prior notice and have never reported to anyone else on the progress of the project.
We need you to complete the project without distracting yourself. Within the term of the contract, you will only cooperate with us and deliver the results in time. We will make up for the trouble caused to you.
The task statement is simple: read these requirements and estimate how long it will take to complete the project. This is one of the easier projects of my career. This is a HTML page that contains some simple animations and several embedded videos. I spent the night studying needs and simulating implementation in my head. Over the years, I have learned not to write any code for clients until I can be sure I get paid.
I have confirmed that this project is at best a day's work. But to be cautious, I reported it for 20 hours, totaling $1500. After all, this is just a HTML page, I can only charge so much. They asked me to go to the satellite office 25 miles away. I have to drive there every day for the three days I work for them.
The next day, I went to the satellite office. In a shopping mall, then through a secret door into a secret world, some staff work quietly in their cubicles. The receptionist showed me a new MacBook Pro, that I would use to work. I had to set up the environment from scratch. I do prefer to use company laptops because they often ask contractors to install suspicious software. I don't want to put it on my computer. )
I spent a day downloading my kit, setting up email, SSH keys and requesting service authorization. In other words, I didn't do anything. That's why it took me 8 hours to write code before I reported it for 20 hours.
The next day, I was ready to start working really. With MacBook Pro, I used it to send an email to the manager. I told him that I was ready to work and was waiting for the above resources. That day, I stayed in my position in the soft light, playing with my fingers until the sun set.
I calculated it again. According to my estimate, I only have four hours to finish the work, which is not impossible for a single HTML page. But needless to say, the next day, I spent the remaining four hours eating a company-sponsored lunch, good food, and I had a good time with the other employees.
When the expected 20 hours expired, I made sure I sent another email to the manager to let him know that I was really at the company, but I didn't get the resources I needed. Of course, the email was ignored.
The next Monday, I hesitated to drive the 25 miles. To my surprise, the manager had come to the satellite office and warmly greeted me. He is a very easygoing and nice man in his thirties. I was puzzled that he was not as anxious as he was when he was going to hire me. We had a friendly conversation without mentioning any work. Later, we went to lunch, and he paid for it. It was a beautiful day. I have no job at all.
Well, you can say it's easy for me to get used to it, but if you feed me and take care of me every day, I'll get used to it. This becomes a routine.
I come to work and spend some time reading and watching videos online. I send an email every day, so they know I did go to the company.
Then I would go to lunch and play with the interesting people I met. At the end of the day, I stood up, stretched out, yawned a well-deserved one, and drove home.
I'm used to it. As a matter of fact, I'm looking forward to this. When I finally received an email with a link to the resources I needed, I was a little disappointed. I began to keep my feet on the ground again and become the serious face I had when I was at work. However, it took me a few minutes to look at the Zip file before I noticed that it was missing most of what I needed. The designer sent me some Adobe Illustrator files, and I couldn't open it on MacBook.
I replied to the email to explain my doubts and asked some other questions to save time. By that time, the 20 hours I had reported had already passed. I really want to finish the work now.
Shortly after the click was sent, I received an email. There was only one sentence: "forward to Alex," and Alex got a copy of the email.
Alex replied that he forwarded it to Steve.. Steve replied that Michelle was a designer and that she would know more.
Michelle's automatic reply said she was on vacation and that all inquiries should be told directly to her manager.
Her manager replied, "who is Ibrahim?" my manager replied that he was sorry he had not introduced me to everyone.
As a contractor, I usually finish my work and leave the company before people notice that I work there. But this time, I received a lot of welcome emails. Such emails lasted for some time, and I was forced to reply to those that had been amicably overdone. Some people would love to meet me in person. When I said I was in California, far away, they were a little disappointed. And envy, they say they envy the beautiful weather in California.
They politely ignored my email, copied my questions and classified anything I asked as spam. I spent a lot of time digging like an archaeologist in a deep email ditch, hoping to find the answer to my question.
You can imagine the extent to which I feel impostor replacement syndrome when I think that my only task is to build a static HTML page (guilty, doubting that my reward is not what I deserve). The 20-hour project, which had been overstated, turned into a seven-week adventure, during which I enjoyed a free lunch, drove 50 miles a day, and rummaged through emails.
When I finally finished the project, I sent it to the team on GitHub.
Soon after, I was invited, and the whole team used Google Hangout for videoconferencing to Code Review. my code.
It took me more than a month to write a static HTML page, and now the whole team has to evaluate my work?
What, I want to say something for myself, this page also contains some JavaScript interaction, is responsive, but also includes CSS animation. Well, I really feel like an impostor.
Of course, the videoconference has been rescheduled a few more times. When it finally happened, my work and I were no longer the subject of the meeting. They all sat in the same room somewhere in New York, talking like a closely United group. In fact, all they said about the project I did was:
Person 1: Hey, is anyone doing this sponsorship page?
Man 2: yes, I think it's done.
Person 1: great. I'll merge tonight.
When I came home that night, I realized I was facing another challenge. I worked in this company for seven weeks and my original offer was $1500. This is equivalent to $11100 a year or $214 a week. Or, to put it bluntly, $5.35 an hour.
This is hardly enough for me to pay for the gas. So, I sent them an invoice, and I quoted them for seven weeks at the original hourly rate for a total of $18000. Of course I'm ashamed, but what else can I do?
As I expected, I did not receive a reply. If all big companies have anything in common, they are not in a hurry to pay their bills on time. Such a simple job costs so much, I feel like a liar, but then again, I am not here to do charity. I drive 50 miles a day to do the job, and if it's not done, it's not because I don't want to. This is because they are responding too slowly.
I got a reply the next week. This is a cold email from the manager, who divides my working days into different periods of time. Then he highlighted the part of my work and marked an hour's lunch break every day. Finally, he made some calculations with the hourly rate we agreed on.
Obviously, I miscalculated. I misestimated the total. After adjustment, the total amount they owe me is $21000.
Please confirm the readjusted number of hours so that the finance can write you a check.
I quickly replied to the confirmation.