So here we are, discussing your project and how we can merge both your and our vision into one, how you want to make it huge and how we’re ready to commit ourselves in that direction. The vibe is great and we’re getting along until…
What kind of budget did you have in mind?
95% of the time, this is the point at which you close up and fear suddenly engulfs the room. Sweat, crazy looks around the room, patting me down to make sure I’m not wearing any mics : you won’t tell me. Being asked about your budget feels as appropriate as being asked for your credit card number by some random dude in the street. It’s like asking a spy its system to communicate with homeland. And that’s where you’re unfortunately mistaken.
It’s not even about money, it’s about creating something that’s meaningful and that will generate substantial impact for your business.
- Your budget ≠ our price. You having a budget doesn’t mean us charging it. It gives us an idea of how much you’re ready to invest, but it often happens that we can do with less than you’re expecting. It’s pretty much like asking you to show us your pantry so we can cook something delicious with a few of the ingredients.
- Your budget helps us target the best solutions for you. By knowing how much money you are ready to spend, we can right away eliminate solutions that are out of your range and focus on those you can afford. It simplifies both the process towards your complete satisfaction and your analysis of all possible options you may have at hand.
- Feature A doesn’t always equal Feature A. Meaning? Your appreciation of a feature can be very different from a developer’s perspective, and a developer’s perspective can be hugely different from the next developer’s, sitting 3 feet to his right. Each feature deserves an in-depth look to make sure our vision is cohesive. This vision can be clarified early, as soon as we are aware of your budget expectations. It is in fact a way of settling common foundations to your project and making sure your ideas will be done as discussed.
- Your budget helps to set priorities. If you have a restricted budget, we can help you select which of your project’s features you want us to emphasize on and which ones you less care about. Getting the wrong things done ought to be the least satisfying thing ever, and we wouldn’t want that to happen to your project. It’s not even about money, it’s about creating something that’s meaningful and that will generate substantial impact for your business. If you tell us about, say, an app idea that you’ve had, we will instinctively start imagining all of the features that could be integrated. We’ll see how your app can become the best app to have ever been created and take us all to the moon and back while enjoying gravityless sips of cosmic mojito. No exaggeration here. So knowing the budget you have in mind can be a great way to bring us back down to earth and target the most essential features we need to work on. That being said, your app is still gonna rock some socks.
Ask someone to draw a house in 5 minutes, he will do it. Ask someone to draw a house in 5 months, he will do it as well, but the results will be immensely different.
In order to clarify certain elements that are specific to the software development industry, imagine you’re getting a house built. The infinite room options you have are just like the uncountable specs your technological project could contain. The range of available technologies is as wide as the one of floor types. A cement, wooden or marble floor is still a floor, but it would be wrong to say that there is no difference. How does that relate to technology? We can get you similar technological results, but based on different elements: on which screens would you rather have your website available? Do you wish to add animated props or not? It’s all about taste, quality and signature. Ask someone to draw a house in 5 minutes, he will do it. Ask someone to draw a house in 5 months, he will do it as well, but the results will be immensely different.
Having your budget in mind hence helps you choose which characteristics you want your project to have and helps us help you be more realistic. From the outside, most of the programming part seems pretty easy. Sure you may only be asking to move your ‘’Buy it now’’ button to the other corner, but keep in mind moving a button to the other corner is often as simple as moving a toilet to the other corner of the room. Possible, but with a chance of headache.
Now you understand better why the budget question usually comes up very early in the process. We have no interest in milking every dollar out of your pocket. In fact, all we want is your satisfaction and by that we mean making the most out of your budget, no matter how tremendous or not at all it may be. It you come to us with a project, it means you want us to partner up and partnerships are built upon trust. Trust us with this, and we assure you’ll reach heights you had never imagined.
So let’s try this one more time:
What kind of budget did you have in mind?
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Hi, I’m Jean-Michel, CEO and Founder of Cortex.bz, a high-end multi-platform development studio based in Quebec City and NYC. Need anything? Please reach-out via email through jmlebeau -*at*- cortex.bz .
