Hello,

I'm a professional programmer with an active interest in trading.
I would like to let you know what goes through my head when I take on a new programming job.

Communication between myself and the client is crucial to a successful software project.
If I can't communicate well with the client, then I will not take on the job.

If the client can effectively communicate to me the project requirements, then I can correctly
estimate the time and cost of the work to be done.

If agreement can be reached on the project requirements, time and price then I know
the project has a chance of succeeding.

For me personally, anything under $75/hour I will not touch.
There are a three main reasons for this:
1/ I need to make a minimum amount each week in order to pay the bills.
2/ I know I can make that money or better elsewhere.
3/ It is WORK when I'm doing it for someone else.

The biggest risk for me is time. The main time considerations are:
1/ If I don't estimate enough I will not get paid for all of the work.
2/ I might have to rush work if I'm falling behind.
3/ The longer the project, the bigger the risk of 1/ & 2/ occurring.

To manage the time risk, I will estimate the project by breaking it down into
smaller components and analyzing how long each component will take to
program. Once that is done, I will add a buffer so I won't have to rush and
make mistakes that could jeopardize the quality of the work.

The biggest thing that a client can do to help me is to have clear set of
requirements. The more detail a client puts into this process, the better
the outcome will be.
This also allows me to get paid for any extra additions that were not a part
of the original requirements.

I hope this has helped to show you what it is like to be a programmer.

You can have a look at some of my work at Forex Gear - Basket Tester

Have fun,

Coder