Looking for IDD (interview driven development) for a WordPress site
I had an interesting experience with a lawyer that works remotely and basically I was interviewed for an hour to explain my business, how I will use data, etc and out came my terms of service, privacy policy, contract, etc after a few weeks. Price was moderate but still good value compared to an in person law firm and I was very happy with the process and style.
Compare that to working with many web developers and design freelancers where I have to think of EXACTLY what I want in excruciating detail because it seems they will do the mechanics but not the judgement and thinking aspects. It's low in dollar cost but high in time cost on my end. The other spectrum is an agency that costs thousands of dollars for something simple. There's got to be an in between like I found the lawyer where I can have a conversation driven by a vendor that's good at making Wordpress sites for SaaS startups and can ask the right questions and fill in the blanks.
I've got a Wordpress site on WPEngine and theme purchased (https://themeforest.net/item/startapp-multipurpose-wordpress-theme-for-it-businesses/18322378) and would love to just talk with someone and get the project moving.
They would have to understand child themes, git, and Visual Composer so this all stays maintainable.
Has anyone found a freelancer that works in this interview style they would recommend? Any other advice?
It sounds like you're basically at Do you want it fast, good, or cheap? Pick two.
Most good, moderately priced, and experienced freelancers will send you a questionnaire to answer via email at a minimum. Some will have the form online. Some might even have a flow with more questions depending how you answer. Then after answering the questionnaire, you'll have conference call to ask more questions, brief you on the project, and answer any questions you may have. There should be followup emails and conference calls during the design process.
Basically, what you're purchasing is expertise and time; either how much time the designer/developer spends with you, on the project, and/or how quick they deliver the project.
"Compare that to working with many web developers and design freelancers where I have to think of EXACTLY what I want in excruciating detail because it seems they will do the mechanics but not the judgement and thinking aspects. "
Generally speaking, designers tend not to pick the exact designs but will send you concepts and variations to choose from. The reason being is that it's your money, and they don't want to be blamed if it's not as successful as you want it to be. Having the designs being blamed for sinking the business when it was something else, like lack of marketing, is not unheard of.
"It's low in dollar cost but high in time cost on my end. The other spectrum is an agency that costs thousands of dollars for something simple."
One of the top 5 questions is going to be 'What is your budget?'. Your definition of moderately priced may vary from what most people would consider moderate. In the past, when I use to do WordPress freelance work, a good and moderately priced freelancer would cost $1500 to $7500; for a WordPress install, a semi-custom theme, Woocommerce install, a couple semi-customized plugins, some SEO and creating the social media.
Personally, I'd never hire someone without seeing that questionnaire first and having a 30-60 minute pre-sales conference call on any project. Being a former WordPress freelancer, I'd say I also wouldn't want a client that would just dump a project on me and not have clearly defined contractual goals. The reason being is having a client say, 'Oh, I trust you' only to hear dissatisfaction and refund demands at the end when their last payment is due.
Thank you for the thoughtful reply. I posted on some other communities as well and have two exploratory calls next week with two different people. Will see how it goes and keep your advice in mind.