Vent: A network intro cost me a client deal

I always thought being open with contacts was key. I introduced a developer to a client I was courting. He swooped in and closed the deal himself. Now I ask for agreements before making intros.

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3 Comments

josephm397mo ago

Man, did he at least buy you a coffee before he stole your client? Classic move. Gotta love when people show their true colors like that. Smart call getting things in writing now.

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gibson.adam7mo ago

Yeah, that coffee would've been nice. After I got burned once, I started using a basic contract for every single job, no matter how small or how much I trust the person. It just spells out who does what and who owns the work. It feels a bit awkward at first, but it saved me huge headaches later. Now if someone tries to pull a fast one, I can point to the paper we both signed. It turns a messy argument into a simple conversation. Learned that lesson the hard way, for sure.

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diana8297mo ago

So does that awkward feeling ever go away when you hand over the contract? I get it, it feels like you're killing the vibe or something. But you're totally right, @gibson.adam, it just makes everything clear from the start. It's not about not trusting people, it's about not trusting the weird situation that might pop up later. A simple piece of paper turns a possible fight into a boring chat about what you already agreed on. Way better than that sick feeling when someone tries to change the deal after the work is done.

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