My primary focus is in helping both of us understand just exactly which of any solution is the right one. Getting something out and generating revenue fast and effectively is the foundation.
I've been working with people as a musician, producer, educator, and software engineer for over 25 years. With this broad background, the experiences gained from producing and helping people learn have proven to be excellent resources in bridging the language barrier that normally divides programmers from people.
My commitment is to helping you understand enough of the technical side of things while we're working (and after even!) to know the difference between a complex solution and a detailed product, and to see when they don't match up.
The relationship of a client and consultant can go in many different directions, but really, as both a deep technologist and commercial musician, the best projects are the ones where we're actively working on getting you going, keeping you in the loop, and having almost an improvisatory dialogue on top of the process of getting solid, straightforward, and revenue-generating systems out, and then using that immediate feedback to decide which of the many alternatives we've come up with to pursue next.
Everyone has a plan until the first launch, and that's where being broad, deep, and a concert musician means the difference between driving down the same dead-end street and turning left to get to a new and better destination.
Work Terms
I'm available mostly business hours Chicago time, although when a project is underway, especially during a release, any sort of schedule of course is essentially wide open for communication. I prefer shorter, targeted phone and video calls, with me sending a summary via e-mail immediately afterwards to ensure I've gotten the right idea, and correcting as necessary.
For milestone-based projects, an initiation deposit, a release payment, and then a final payment after 30 days are my preferred terms, and I provide support and fixes for all milestones for 30 days after the final release as part of the deal.
For open-ended work, I prefer having a 10-hour retainer, and that gives you access to me as needed during normal business hours, with the occasional evening or weekend thrown in for good measure. For discussions covering advice, chatting about things, questions about what's going on, status, and generally helping understand our project, there's no charge, while work and planning of course are on the clock.
My primary interest is that you're always best understanding in your own way what we're doing, how and why we're doing it, and that you're informed and can always feel comfortable with any decision you make.
If you've made it this far, I'm here to help. Thanks!