But in terms of writing functional computer code...how much are you actually writing? Is this code merely to wireframe/prototype something? Or is it an actually deliverable that the company will build atop?
Depends on the engagement. There is code I wrote running in production at some clients. (Might want to keep an eye on the FC blog, as I expect there will be something interesting on there eventually, but until then that isn't my story to tell.)
So given a hypothetical company... what is your strategy for convincing them that you can tell them something they don't know?
I tell them something they don't know, and continue doing so until I win the engagement.
With specific reference to Fog Creek, I was active on their forums for a few years and folks there read my blog, so I wasn't exactly starting from a position of We Totally Don't Know Anything About You on the credibility ladder.
Depends on the engagement. There is code I wrote running in production at some clients. (Might want to keep an eye on the FC blog, as I expect there will be something interesting on there eventually, but until then that isn't my story to tell.)
So given a hypothetical company... what is your strategy for convincing them that you can tell them something they don't know?
I tell them something they don't know, and continue doing so until I win the engagement.
With specific reference to Fog Creek, I was active on their forums for a few years and folks there read my blog, so I wasn't exactly starting from a position of We Totally Don't Know Anything About You on the credibility ladder.