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.

3 comments

3 Comments

josephm392mo 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.

gibson.adam2mo 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.

diana8292mo 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.