Create a scoping document now. You need to put down on paper what needs to be done.
Find all the emails between you and your client that happened up until you sent the quote to the client. Put any requirements from those emails into your scoping document. That is what you work towards. Send this to the client to sign off on.
Gather any requirements asked for since and put that in a new scoping requirement for releases 2, 3 and 4 if need be. Send these to the client to sign off on.
Explain to the client that you are happy to deliver what is being asked for, but you will need payment on delivery of the first release, and each release after. If you have to split the $10k up over different releases, do so, but explain to them that as the scope of the project has evolved you will have to charge for the extra work that has fallen outside of the original project.
All that said, if you are skipping actual paying work to try and get this to work, you are missing out twice. You have already sunk a lot of time into the project for potentially nothing. Don't skip your baths on the chance that it rains.
That's what I was wondering about. Seems like there is a lot of dirty clothes to clean at this point. I sent an email to the client yesterday to sit down and talk, instead of them sending angry email of 'Why isn't this ready- and how about that part - and this part which we never talked about'. Not only that, but there is an intermediary person between me and the company. And there seems to be another intemediary person between her and the 'bosses'.
If I take one thing from that is learning to work 16 hours a day for many days in a row. I am getting tired but at least I know I can put the extra effort when needed, as long as it doesn't stay like that for too long.
Yeah mate at this stage I would work out a timeline for the next six months and if this project can't fit in you're better off getting rid of it. It sucks for everyone involved, but if things are going to carry on the same for the next 6 months you might as well end it sooner rather than later.
Can you pls point to some good examples of a scoping doc? Do you make the first pass and allow the customer to subsequently edit it? Or is the idea that you don't let customer-like fuzzy language into the document in the first place?
If you can get a copy of software requirements it comes with good examples. If i have the luxury i create visual mockups of everything as that is easiest for clients to understand (I use balsamiq mockups). Once done with the requirements I get the client to go through them to either sign off on them or to send through changes. http://shop.oreilly.com/product/mobile/0790145385512.do
Find all the emails between you and your client that happened up until you sent the quote to the client. Put any requirements from those emails into your scoping document. That is what you work towards. Send this to the client to sign off on.
Gather any requirements asked for since and put that in a new scoping requirement for releases 2, 3 and 4 if need be. Send these to the client to sign off on.
Explain to the client that you are happy to deliver what is being asked for, but you will need payment on delivery of the first release, and each release after. If you have to split the $10k up over different releases, do so, but explain to them that as the scope of the project has evolved you will have to charge for the extra work that has fallen outside of the original project.
All that said, if you are skipping actual paying work to try and get this to work, you are missing out twice. You have already sunk a lot of time into the project for potentially nothing. Don't skip your baths on the chance that it rains.