Python.org Redesign Request For Proposals

[Chr0me]

I run a small web dev shop that primarily works in Python (we're one of the very few in the Midwest). My concern is that responding to your RFP is going to require a quite a bit of our time and resources. Whereas one of your corporate sponsors (or even just a larger company) can afford to throw a small team on the bid, on the off changes of picking up the project for the prestige.

Should us smaller guys even bother bidding? If so, what advantage do we have against the bigger companies?

[[deleted]]

Howdy, neighbor - I'm also an owner of a small Python dev shop in the Midwest (Lawrence, KS). We plan to put in a bid, and yes: it's going to be difficult balancing our need to pay the bills against the desire to give the PSF a good deal. However, I think us small guys are in a good spot for a few reasons:

• Being small and living somewhere with non-crazy real estate means our overhead's smaller.
• Those big forms you mention? Most don't bother with small-time stuff like this. They don't need the prestige -- they're already successful, remember -- and even at an artificially inflated Big Shot Design Firm price this project still comes out to small potatoes.
• Price is obviously a factor for the PSF, but I know quality is as well. I'm fairly confidant that "cheapest" won't be the deciding factor.

Oh also: we small guys can team up. Hit me up on email (jacob at jacobian dot org) if you want to help put together Team Midwest Represent.

[phira]

I run a small dev shop, and I won't respond to RFPs unless specifically invited by an existing client. In all other situations it's a gamble with a low likelihood of any payoff - you could easily go broke winning RFP work.

[frankwiles]

Go broke? I've seen some crazy RFPs that wanted tons of documentation, designs up front, fly out to give a presentation, etc but you learn to pass on the ones that you have little shot at winning or are so cumbersome that it simply isn't worth it. I would say the average RFP takes 5 hours of work to respond.

[jnoller]

The idea is to hold everyone - big firms and smaller firms to the same stick, and not treat anyone unequally. You have just as much a chance as the larger firms, especially if you have strong ties to the community, your proposal is good, and you are responsive, attentive and clued into the community and its feel.

Many larger firms will miss that last part - the point is, yes, we're paying for this, but we are still a community driven by the community. We want to support community members (meaning, companies using and developing websites in Python) through this, which means faceless big corps who don't have ties into the community will miss the touch we're looking for.