After 10+ years of experience creating software, there is one thing that is consistent across all projects.

Everyone (literally, everyone … businesses, project managers, developers) is over-optimistic about how quickly a project will be “finished”. Unfortunately, this also leads to a HUGE underestimation of how much money is actually needed to complete the project.

If this is (or could be) you, do not worry. During this time, I have discovered a few tricks that can help you reel in your costs before your finances take a turn for the worse. Here are three simple ways you can save money on your software project:

 

Don’t Pay Hourly

Unless you are highly experienced in managing software projects (i.e. 10+ years 😉), it almost never makes sense to pay an hourly rate to a service provider. I don’t care what estimates or quotes they gave you. You simply do not have the experience to tell if they are “running the clock” to shake a few extra dollars from your pocket. To be safe, always opt for fixed-rate contracts.

 

‌Avoid The “Something Like Facebook” syndrome

The “something like Facebook syndrome” is a term I made up to describe when a business compares a new feature they want to a significantly larger and more established platform (i.e., I want to add something like Facebook to my church website). Doing this can make your provider assume that you are looking for something highly complex, and you will get quoted accordingly. Instead, describe exactly what you want in point format. This will remove all assumptions and ensure that you will be quoted for exactly what you want … and no more.

 

‌Open Source It!

If you are a non-profit AND do not have a strict deadline, consider engaging the open-source community. Open-sourcing your project will save you TONS of money, and give you access to a limitless supply of top talent from all over the world, eager to solve complex problems in exchange for “credit” on GitHub.

 

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Navigating the complexities of your software project doesn't have to be a financial drain or guessing game. The three tips I have outlined above will apply to all software/apps, but there are tons of other ways you can save money depending on your specific situation.

 

If this is something you are interested in, get in touch with me: www.agsoftwaresolutions.tech