Signs that You’re Working with a Bad Developer

I’ve worked with many developers for years now.   Signs that you have a bad developer don’t show right away, but if you wait too long, it might be too late.  I’ve had this problem a few months back with a developer who I thought was good, but turned out to be a bad experience.  Today, I put together a list of signs to look out for.  If you have any comments, feedback, or advice,  feel free to leave a comment below.

1. No Contract

Before you have the developer start one line of code, please make them sign a contract first.   Don’t let them say:  No, I don’t really have a contract, but I will get it done.  That’s a sign that when shit hits the fan, they will be jumping ship and leave you to sink with the ship.  Contracts will protect you from a bad developer from the beginning.

Key Points:

• On Day One, have the developer sign a contract.
• If the developer has one, read it carefully before signing it.
• Contracts help you when things go wrong.

2. Says YES! to Everything

This one is clear that the developer is going to give you problems.  It’s great to hear YES! to everything, but let’s be realistic.   The developer should take the time to research and see if it can be done within the time frame.  It’s okay to say no sometimes.  I had this happen to me recently where the developer didn’t take the time to look over the project and said yes to everything.  It’s best if you do some research on your own before your meeting with the developer.  The more you know, the better.

Key Points:

• A million yes’ turn out to a million no’s.
• Research will help you know what can be done on time.

If you manage to get this step done right, it doesn’t mean you’re in the clear just yet.  It saves you time if something goes wrong in the next steps.

3. Bad Communication

This doesn’t just go for developers, it’s for everyone working on the project.  Whether it’s your own project or you’re overseeing one, communication is very important.  Some developers don’t keep good communication.  If you see this, fix it right away.  You don’t want to continue a project with bad communication.

Key Points:

• Keep the communication open.
• Touch base 3 to 4 times a week.
• Try getting daily updates.

4. Waits until the Last Minute to Get Started

Making a deadline for a developer is important to getting your project done on time.  I’ve made the mistake of giving a developer too much time and he procrastinated until the last minute to start coding.  The end result was pretty bad and needed to be redone.  It’s vital you check in daily or every two days to see if they’re doing their job.

Key Points:

• Make deadline and don’t let it pass.
• Only give time if needed and you feel the developer is working hard on it.
• Daily updates on the project is always great.

5. I Need More Time

There is nothing wrong with needing more time.  Things can get tricky when it comes to developing, so they may need an extra day or two.  If two days have passed and things aren’t getting completed, it’s a definite sign that you’re working with a bad developer.

By this time if you’re not willing to hire a different developer, everything that happens after this will start to become a nightmare.

6. Bad Coding

It’s only going to get worse when the developer is coding badly.  It will be hard for you to tell if the code isn’t good or not.  It’s best you let a different developer review the code.  I know code well enough to see if the developer is doing a good or bad job.