Client: “Hi, I need to upload all of this information to my newly developed website.”

The client sends a link to his old website. It is approximately twelve hundred news and gallery posts.

Me: “Sure, but it will be much easier if you just give us admin access to the website and the server, and we will import all of that information.”

Client: “No, I don’t want it to be easier for you. What the h*** am I paying for you? Do it manually.”

Me: “Oh! I really appreciate you looking out for us so much.”

Client: “What?”

Me: “Well, our hourly rate is €50.”

Client: “So?”

Me: “So, I estimate that to put all that information manually, we need somewhere between sixty to eighty hours. Importing would take up to eight. So again, I appreciate you allowing us to earn some extra.”

Client: “Importing is fine. Here are the login details.”

We had a potential client that wanted to make a website. We showed some award-winning examples (not ours, just from award-winning websites) and told them this is what their website could look like. They loved those examples. 

When it came to discussing a budget, they only had a budget for a very simple template-based website, so we told them we couldn’t help them and instead advised them to look for a freelancer who does that kind of work.

Several months later they contacted us again, this time with an angry tone. They sent the link to their new website.

Client: “That does not even remotely look like those fancy examples you showed and promised us!”

Me: “Yes, this is a very simple template-based website, but what does it have to do with us?”

Client: “You promised it would look like those examples!”

Me: “Yes, but you didn’t have enough budget to work with us. Why do you keep telling this to us? Why don’t you talk to the person who made this for you?”

Client: “We did, but he said that he can’t make it with our budget, and he is not answering calls or emails. Since you promised our website could look like this, you must fix this for free!”

Yes, he asked us to “fix” it for free. And yes, we stopped answering his emails or calls as well.

A potential client comes to us with an idea to develop a web-based platform for their startup.

Client: “Do you work based on shareholding agreement?”

Me: “Well it depends on the project and if we see it as a good fit for us. We develop several projects where we are co-owners.”

I give them a list of those projects.

Client: “Oh, these are pretty cool. So what do we need to get you started ASAP?”

Me: “Well, in order to evaluate if we wanna proceed, we need to see a detailed business plan.”

Client: “Okay, I will prepare it.”

Me: “Also, we will then need to establish a shareholding agreement, where we set up all responsibilities, deadlines, profit share, etc.”

Client: “Hold on, profit share? Why would I want to share my profit with you?”

Me: “I thought you were looking for someone to develop your project based on a shareholding agreement?”

Client: “Yes, but what does it have to do with profit share?”

Me: “Well, I  don’t think you really understand what shareholding means.”

I then explained what it means and also explained that working for a couple of years for free just to be called a “shareholder” without any profit is simply volunteering. I wished them good luck and we parted ways.

Their idea never came alive. I suppose they are still searching a shareholder-volunteer.

Our client is planning a big web-based cloud project. They have received funding via one of the European Union funding programmes, so they have a decent budget. We discuss every detail of a project and a timeline. It is a big project; it involves seven people from our team, and our projected time to complete this project is six to eight months.

We set up a budget and the client agrees. Based on European funding requirements, there is a thing called “funding intensity”, which means that the EU will fund a part of a project (in this case 80%), so the client needs to have 20% of the whole budget.

One day, we receive an email from a client, saying they’re choosing another supplier for this project. I call them and basically find out that the head of their commerce department has a relative who will do it for a small fraction of our budget with a template. I triple-check that they understand the scope of a project and that it requires a team of senior specialists if they want to have a quality product, and I warn them that a template will not be sufficient. They say their head of department has made a decision, so I simply wish them good luck with a project.

I think this is a corrupt move; they will try to “sell” this to the funding agency for a bigger amount, and then share the leftover amount.

About six months later, they call us to say that the EU funding agency is refusing to fund it, as it lacks essential functionality. We ask them to send us what they have.

They send a very simple template-based site, something you could get for about 500 Euros from a freelancer constructing template websites.

Me: “Well, what you have is simply nothing compared to what you really need based on your requirements.”

Client: “Can you do something? Can you tweak it?”

Me: “No, it is unusable. If you need what we discussed six months ago, you need to do it from scratch.”

Client: “Okay, can you do it from scratch?”

Me: “Sure, but that will take six months. Is that okay for you — and especially for the funding agency?”

Client: “What? No, the agency gave us one month.”

Me: “I am sorry, but there is nothing we can do.”

Client: “What? Do you understand that this means we will lose this entire funding and will have to return advance payment?”

The agency usually gives 25% of the whole funding as advance payment. My guess is that they have none of this money anymore.

Me: “Yes, I understand, but again, there is nothing we can do.”

They lost the funding, and they had to return the advance payment. To this day, they somehow think it is our fault.

We are doing architecture engineering and all related services (except the construction itself). The potential client wants to build a medical center and approaches us to do architecture and get a construction permit. Based on our regulations, it takes at least six or seven months to get a permit, usually even more than a year.

Client: “We want this to get done as soon as possible. We are now acquiring a plot, and we have planned on opening in April.”

Me: “April? Which April.”

Client: “The coming April.”

Me: “But that’s less than a year away. You will get a construction permit in like a year, not to mention that the whole construction could take at least six to eight months.”

Client: “What? No, no, we have prepared promotional messages about this, and we are releasing them this weekend. How hard is it to do it in our time? We are finishing acquiring the plot, and we will have it next month.”

Me: “Hold on. You still don’t own the plot, and you are preparing a communication that you are planning to build a medical center there? I would strongly suggest you postpone it until you have all rights to it because the current owner could take advantage of it and simply increase the price. Anyway, it is impossible to get a permit and build such a center in less than a year, so we won’t be able to do it. No one will.”

Client: *Arrogantly* “Don’t be ridiculous. Thank you for your time. We will find someone more competent.”

We parted ways. That week, I saw their ad about the planned opening. Then, I received their message asking whether I had told the current owner to increase the plot price.

All other companies also told him the same — it was impossible to do in their timeframe — so they had to postpone their opening. Bad planning cost them around 500,000 euros. (Thankfully, they are not our clients.)