Which should I choose: a 3-person startup agency or a 50-person big agency?

Thanks, this was very helpful. Payment schedules should be tied to project phases, not calendar dates.

Everyone rushing into small agency or big agency gets stuck at the same point. If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

I feel the same way. Solutions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late.

I felt relieved reading this answer, so it's not just me. Just because everyone does it doesn't mean it's right.

Everyone rushing into small agency or big agency gets stuck at the same point. Proven by experience.

You're right. The harder it is to reverse a decision, the slower you should make it.

Just leaving this note, it might be useful.

Same here.

How did you solve this? Start with a small trial; don't commit to everything at once.

Proven by experience.

Noted, thanks.

The discussion got scattered, let me summarize. Everything goes well for the first three months; problems arise in the fourth.

you're right I've been down that road too and like when making decisions write down the worst-case scenario too not just the best.

I think differently. Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate.

Implementing a change request process doesn't slow things down it speeds them up. Hope this helps.

I was thinking the same thing. btw everything goes well for the first three months; problems arise in the fourth.

Proven by experience.

i'd appreciate it if you shared the outcome.

Thanks a lot, I'll try it today. Weekly written progress reports are much more useful than asking for dates.

Weekly written progress reports are much more useful than asking for dates.

Let's separate the concepts, they're getting mixed up. Every "we'll look at it later" in a meeting means unbilled work.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

I feel the same way. Every "we'll look at it later" in a meeting means unbilled work.

If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

We've heard this a lot, but it never happened like that for us. Code without setup documentation isn't yours, even if you have it.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

Three different views emerged they all complement each other. The answer varies greatly by industry; there is no one-size-fits-all rule.

I've been down this road, let me tell you. Code without setup documentation isn't yours, even if you have it.

Any unwritten clause becomes a point of disagreement later, as both sides remember it differently. Good luck with that.