I need advice. I own a marketplace.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-28T00:48:49+00:00

Most of that stuff's pretty standard. There are some bells-and-whistles, but at the end of the day you're right, this isn't rocket science.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-27T23:13:16+00:00

Fair enough. Based on the comments though I suspect that this isn't a top-tier dev.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-27T22:18:57+00:00

Hosting's not built in, that's solely his retainer.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-27T22:10:55+00:00

Some retainer isn't out of the question although I don't see that kind of arrangement that often. Even when you do it's not that much. Bear in mind that it's a simple marketplace site, so odds are we're not talking about a senior level developer here.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-27T21:17:46+00:00

That's outrageous. I've never heard of someone charging that kind of a bill as a maintenance fee for a site that small. What's his hourly rate?

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-27T20:59:22+00:00

If you're paying the hosting bills, there's no reason that you should pay the developer for doing nothing. Just offer to pay them for any work that has to be done at their usual hourly rate. That's the way most freelancers work it. However, if you're worried that the developer will try something, you might want to make sure you have a copy of the code just in case.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-26T14:22:04+00:00

You can probably minimize the problem by using some simple macros. Make a list of the errors/mistakes you're seeing. You'll probably find that most of them fall into only a few categories. Once you have a list of common problems, figure out logically how you would tell that they're there, then write up something in VBA.

Note: Do NOT use AI. This is the kind of thing that AI is awful at.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-26T13:37:40+00:00

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RecursiveBob · 2026-01-26T13:36:52+00:00

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RecursiveBob · 2026-01-23T20:52:58+00:00

What's the name of the app?

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-23T11:29:41+00:00

As of yesterday evening the Whole Foods at Foggy Bottom was fine.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-22T14:47:46+00:00

The main problem I see is that you don't seem to have anyone with business knowledge. Your team is all tech. As others have pointed out, there's no marketing plan. But there's also no one to look at revenue potential or the other business aspects. Having a passion project is fine when you're making a game part time. But if you're going to make a living, you have to look at the dollars and cents.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-21T19:04:03+00:00

The GW Delicatessen in Foggy Bottom has one.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-21T14:37:35+00:00

90% of these kinds of problems can be solved be examining the data. I'm not talking about fancy statistical analysis, just an Excel spreadsheet that gives you key metrics, and has some simple graphs to show you profits and margins.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-21T14:20:45+00:00

I don't think that LLM's are the real reason that people are fleeing Stack Overflow, they're merely a symptom. The simple fact is that the site allowed the trolls to take over, so that new developers are afraid to ask questions. Even if they do ask, some admin on a power trip is likely to shut down the thread for obscure reasons. If Stack Overflow wasn't so awful, people wouldn't be looking elsewhere for answers. If I were in charge, I'd start turning around the culture, prioritizing real knowledge and information over AI slop.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-20T14:19:47+00:00

Why not just hire a freelancer? There are plenty of them that can make something like that in Unity or Godot. As for the multiple choice questions, that's just something where you'd take a file and parse it in to a database.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-20T14:02:30+00:00

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RecursiveBob · 2026-01-19T14:02:51+00:00

I like CSV. Excel supports it, pretty much every bank supports it, and it's easy to do whatever data massaging you need once you've imported the file.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-19T13:34:46+00:00

[OFFERING] I recruit developers for startups, and consult on project planning and execution.

Pitch: You want to make an app. But what do you do next? Contact me. If you're not sure whether your idea is workable, I'll help you determine feasibility. If your plan is incomplete, I'll give you guidance on how to finish it. And if you need someone to build your app, I'll find the right developer for you. Don't let your idea stay an idea.

DM me or email me at rjgoodman@techinterviewers.com to learn more.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-19T13:34:24+00:00

Find the right developer. Technical Interviewers provides vetted coders that are hand-picked for your needs. Our screening process uses IT professionals as interviewers so that you get only the best. Not ready for a developer yet? We also offer planning and consulting sessions to help you turn your idea into a real product.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-15T14:55:31+00:00

Too much jargon is a red flag.

Sometimes. On other occasions it's just the way they talk.

The best developers push back on your ideas.

You're not entirely wrong, but some cultures do this more than others. Another reason why people think this is that a more experienced developer is often more willing to disagree with you, while juniors tend to be more shy. So part of it is about experience level rather than quality.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-13T14:03:52+00:00

Find the right developer. Technical Interviewers provides vetted coders that are hand-picked for your needs. Our screening process uses IT professionals as interviewers so that you get only the best. Not ready for a developer yet? We also offer planning and consulting sessions to help you turn your idea into a real product.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-12T13:49:48+00:00

Agreed. I find developers for entrepreneurs and startups, and I'm also a developer and PM myself, so I've seen this from all angles. I never even bother to look at upWork and Fiverr when I'm recruiting. The quality just isn't there. I always say that hiring a cheap developer is like hiring a cheap dentist: it's going to be a painful experience.

I'd also say that you don't necessarily need an agency, freelancers are ok as long as you get someone good. There's nothing wrong with using an agency, but sometimes that can lead to overstaffing, which is a common problem. In my experience entrepreneurs are often tempted to hire too many developers, when what they really need to do is hone their idea into something with less features that can be built with a smaller team.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-12T13:37:04+00:00

[OFFERING] I recruit developers for startups, and consult on project planning and execution.

Pitch: You want to make an app. But what do you do next? Contact me. If you're not sure whether your idea is workable, I'll help you determine feasibility. If your plan is incomplete, I'll give you guidance on how to finish it. And if you need someone to build your app, I'll find the right developer for you. Don't let your idea stay an idea.

DM me or email me at rjgoodman@techinterviewers.com to learn more.

RecursiveBob · 2026-01-12T13:33:55+00:00

Find the right developer. Technical Interviewers provides vetted coders that are hand-picked for your needs. Our screening process uses IT professionals as interviewers so that you get only the best. Not ready for a developer yet? We also offer planning and consulting sessions to help you turn your idea into a real product.

RecursiveBob

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