Dialog with a "professional"

(last names have been omitted and Ghostwriter alias used)

Hey Peter,

I am friends with Ryan, Nick, and some others who know you. I have heard you are the man when it comes to programming. I have a team of about 20 people, we are in the process of building a web empire and I am always looking for more programming talent. If you might be interested in learning about our plans and potentially being involved, let me know.

Kind regards,
Ghostwriter
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Ghostwriter,

I appreciate the consideration but I'm happy with my current position.

Thanks,
Peter
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Peter,

Thanks for responding, I am not a recruiter or looking to take you away from your job. I am just looking for developers with the entrepreneurial spirit to work on small portions of the venture in their spare time. We aim to build a company that will bring a strong valuation in less than four years. Maybe we can chat sometime?

Kind regards,
Ghostwriter
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Ghostwriter,

I hope you understand that I take what I do very seriously and that my time is very valuable, not just to me but to others as well so I'm going to explain to you how a typical contracting engagement works. While there is some flexibility in the terms of an agreement, my hourly rate is firm.

If you have a an RFP I can provide you a rough estimate of the number of man hours it might take to complete your project. If the estimate is acceptable then a requirements document is formulated with strict nonnegotiable deliverable items outlined. Usually a project is broken up into deliverable/billable phases and no work on any phase is started until it is signed off on by both parties. Typically 30% of the hourly estimate is required upfront, another 30% after demonstration of a functional program and the final 40% upon delivery of the completed items in the phase. If features or requirements are needed or added to a phase once it has been signed off on then the billable hours and requirements documents are revised to reflect the additions and signed off on accordingly by both parties. The contract also outlines what concessions are made on my part if delivery dates are not met because of fault on my part. My billable rate is $700 per hour. That may sound high but it is a reflection of the fact that a client typically doesn't consider administrative time (e.g. phone calls, meetings, etc) to be billable hours but those items reflect 60% or more of time I spend working on a project.

Regards,
Peter
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Peter,

Thanks again for the message. Who do you work for? I may have spoken with your company at some point. We are looking for entrepreneurial minded developers to partner with; who are willing to take an equity stake with us in exchange for the potential rewards that come from investing some time and energy. We are here to empower artists and evolve mass consciousness.

Regards,
Ghostwriter
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Ghostwriter,

I have explained to you how I evaluate projects and my standard billing rate. I have neither the desire nor the need to enter into a pro-bono partnership on the off chance that it might prove fruitful. Frankly as an established professional software developer I find your proposal insulting. Would you expect an electrician, carpenter or other professional tradesmen to enter into such business agreement if you were establishing a traditional brick and mortar store? No, and this is no different.

Against my better judgment I responded to your message, this however will be my last communication with you. The friends who recommended me are your friends, I have not spoken with them in over 10 years and have no interest in doing so in the future. Please consider that for a moment.

A bit of advice, if you expect to be taken seriously by any professional software developer you should cut out the marketing speak. Terms like "empower" and "visionary" are at best a joke for most of us.
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Peter,

I am so sorry I chose to communicate on a level higher than your ability to relate. I already have the required team of “believers,” just looking for more talent. One of the last consultants I visited with introduced himself as a “Visionary” Technology Founder. Two years ago, age 27, his venture was acquired for over $100 Million dollars. He is one of many in my circle who choose not to suppress who they are in the face of limited and judging minds. I have not encountered a soul as shallow and sad as yours in a long time. Clearly and undeniably, you have found no real purpose in life.Your negativity wouldn’t even allow you to look at the ideas or team containing some of brightest minds of our time.

I have done some life coaching in my day and I am willing to coach you pro-bono. Given your extreme level of ego and fear, a client like you would need the most intense therapy possible which will bill at $800 per 45 minutes. I am going to do it for free because the divine order demands that the youth and utterly lost be schooled with wisdom. I see into your soul, I see the broken being. You too deserve to feel whole, loved, and to have a significant purpose in this short life.

In the future you might want to at least learn what you are rejecting before you close the door. “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but no vision.” -Helen Keller

Sincerely your life coach,
Ghostwriter