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My big freelance project flopped because I ignored the client's timeline
I took a web design job for a local bakery in Austin back in March, figured I could wing the schedule. Client was clear they needed it live by April 1st, but I kept adding features (you know, scope creep) and missed by 2 weeks. They got frustrated and hired someone else to finish it. So here's my debate: do you stick to the original agreement even if the work is worse, or do you deliver quality late? I'm leaning toward on-time now, but lots of folks say art takes time.
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annajenkins1mo ago
On-time beats perfect every time in freelance. A client will forgive decent work delivered when promised, but they'll resent great work that messes with their business plans. Set realistic deadlines upfront and stick to them, then refine the project in future rounds.
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jana8811mo ago
That bit about "resenting great work that messes with their business plans" is so true, @annajenkins. It's like they'd rather have something solid on time than a masterpiece that throws off their whole schedule.
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gray8751mo ago
Is my track record of "showed up even longer than promised" starting to make sense now? I once delivered a project a full week late because I spent too much time polishing something nobody even noticed, and the client's feedback was basically "you missed the deadline." @annajenkins is dead right that clients remember the missed date way more than the extra shine. Now I just aim for "good enough on Tuesday" and save the perfectionism for my own personal projects.
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