We've all had it. People with ideas and no money. Or people with ideas, money and no trust. These two categories define the most irritating aspect of taking on new work. So lets imagine two scenarios.

Scenario 1:

Client: Hi! I've got a fantastic idea for an app. Within 18 months, it's going to overtake twitter. There's plenty of budget/investment/magic stars for this project so don't be shy about numbers. Please email me back with a quote.

Developer: Thank you for your email. I'd love to take a look into your project, but you've provided no functional specification or at least an idea of what it is you would like me to produce. If you could send me over something to this effect, I'd be more than happy to take a look over it and provide you with a ballpark figure before we go into specifics.

Client: Oh no, I can't do that. You might pinch my idea! It's gold dust this idea, I tell you. I can't tell you what it is until you sign this confidentiality agreement that I have attached to this email. It's quite comprehensive but don't be put off - after this project, you'll never have to work again.

Developer opens attachment. This document is very long and very vague. (as an example) it states that the project is for a 'new concept in social media' and that I can't work on any similar project or for any competing company for 5 years after signing. So, does this exclude Facebook and Twitter applications? Social mashups? Even a public CRM has the ability to fall within this ridiculously loose description in one way or another.

Developer: I'm sorry, I can't sign this.

Client: Why? Don't you hear what I'm saying? We'll make millions.

Developer: I'm not comfortable with signing a confidentiality agreement that restricts the amount I am able to undertake for the next 5 years, over such a broad range of potential applications - not to mention I still have absolutely no idea what you want me to quote for. And for that reason, I'm out (queue scottish accent).

Client: You're a fool! I'll laugh at you when I'm sitting on my yacht outside Monte Carlo.

Senario 2:

Client: Hi Pete. I'm looking for a PHP developer and I found you! Attached is a functional spec of what I'm looking to have built. If you could take a look over it and give me a rough idea as to time scales that would be great.

Developer: Certainly. After taking a look over this document, I can have this done in x-days and at a cost of x-amount.

Client: Great! The thing is, we haven't any budget for this. However once this launches, we're expecting to see a significant financial upturn. How about we cut you in for 15% of everything it makes. Think about it - you could be rich!

Developer: And how much is it making currently?

Client: Well it's just an idea right now, so nothing...

Developer: What's 15% of £0.00?

I imagine these are familiar scenarios to many developers out there. If you are 'client', stop and think to yourself that this is our job. We have to work to pay the bills. We're not going to spend 3 months working on a project we're not getting paid for with only a potential prospect of receiving any form of financial remuneration.

The same rule applies to Scenario 1. As with Scenario 2, this is out living we're trying to make here. Signing a ridiculously vague confidentiality agreement covering such a grey area is hardly in our best interests. If you want us to quote a project, we need an accurate idea of what we're building. There are very few developers that are actually likely to go pillaging people's ideas - mainly because 90% of the concepts that arrive in my inbox are nothing but hokum. You won't overtake Google, Facebook and probably not Twitter. You can give it a shot if you really want to, but you'll have to find a developer(s) willing to undertake it first.