[maxmsp] Re: Rates for professional Max work

i like the formula below, but i'd like to postulate a golfers approach  
to max-programming.

the handicap factor:

how much time will it take * your handicap factor = actual time spent  
to finish the patch;

including debugging and unexpected pitfalls (which is 90% of the  
project time, some say).

if all members of the max union can agree on a handicap rating system  
this would tremendously help in bidding for jobs ;=)

by now my handicap is 8 !

oh, and don't talk to me of hardware develpment, there the factor gets  
an extra 0...

> (how much time will it take)*(how much do you want to make per hour)+ 
> (how much you have to spend to accomplish it hiring, buying etc)+ (a  
> percentage of your overhead)-(will it end up in repeat business or  
> PR, aka discounts) = $$$job bid$$$

more seriously. i've asked for 300 Euro/Day fees, and did get them.  
but i still had to negotiate the number of days budgeted. so it's a  
give and take.

you need to know beforehand where your lower limit is! and keep a  
straight face when asked to work for less :)

oh, and yeah, usually in long term or so called permanent  
installations, you have to negotiate a maximum guarantee time and  
budget the upkeep and additional backup equipment, because something  
is bound to break.
ideally you can hand off the hardware maintenance to an IT contractor.  
and much like mzed's experience mine is that the more time you spend  
proofing your system at launch the less often you will have to go back.

in one case of an outdoors installation i had to trek up a mountain 3  
times one summer because of design flaws in the protective casing!  
(the condensation tended to flood the floor of the box and short the  
battery).

good luck!

/*j