"I'm a new consultant. What should I know?" A thread inspired by the Twitter Space @mike_julian and I did last night.
It never ends. "Done" never is. You're unlikely to have meaningful ARR, so plan for a treadmill.
You can't make a customer do anything.
Don't bill by the hour.
You're first and foremost a customer facing person. Act like it.
Never lie to the customer.
Never surprise the customer. If you're going to miss a deadline, tell them early.
People will never forget how you made them feel. That cuts both ways.
Not every client is a good client.
Corollary: If all of your clients are crap it's probably not them.
"Being clever" isn't nearly as valuable as "being simple" when it comes to the solution you implement. People who aren't you will have to operate it.
Remember who your client is. It's usually the consulting company you work for.
"What moron built this" is a question you'll invariably ask to said moron. Consider the constraints that shaped what you're working with.
Don’t bluff; your credibility is everything. “I don’t know” is the right answer and it ends with “but I’ll find out.”
Very often you’re being paid not only for your expertise, but also to be the calmest voice in the room.
Figure out where your “nope, I will not cross that line” limit is now; otherwise you’ll be making that call when you’re in the thick of it.
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