For those interested  in using my services here are some useful guidelines which can help make our collaboration more productive, and reduce development time and cost.

The development process:

1. The first step is to define clearly what we are trying to achieve and what the different metrics are: the inputs, outputs, performance requirements, what is to be delivered and in what time frame, etc. This will allow me to give a more accurate time and cost estimate and will also help us determine when the project has been completed
2. Estimates are just that, so the fact that I say “it should take X hours or Y days” doesn’t mean it will take exactly that time. I try to be as conservative as possible, as I don’t like unpleasant surprises myself. I sometimes do finish projects sooner than estimated. It is also common for software projects to turn out to be more complicated during the implementation phase than expected during its initial phases.
3. Please do not make assumptions when you describe your system. So do not imply that because a certain element or behavior seems obvious, it will also be obvious to me.
4. Related to 3., give as much details as possible. So for example instead of “the system buys when the moving average crosses the median line” use “the system buys at market when the SMA of close with a period of 5 bars crosses over the median line between high an low calculated as (high + low)/2”.
5. Even if we follow 3. and 4., there will always be elements that need to clarified – that’s the nature of software development, so please be prepared to answer many questions.
6. This will be an iterative process, so you will receive intermediate versions or results that you can test yourself to make sure that they meet your functional expectations. Based on your feedback I will then continue the work.
7. Also, related to 6, the project will certainly change as we go along, based on new facts or a better understanding of the problem that comes only when trying to actually implement an idea.

Payment

8. I usually expect payment upfront for at least part of the fee, but we can make different arrangements depending on the concrete situation. In some cases I will deliver limited or protected versions of the code until the total fee is paid

Warranty

9. I offer 100% guarantee of my work. I will fix any bugs or problems at any time after the development is over, at no charge. I will also make small changes in the code at no fee. Larger changes that involve a considerable amount of development time or significantly change the functionality of the code will be considered different projects though.

Refund Policy

10. You are entitled to 100% fee refund if you are unsatisfied with the result of my work for any valid reason. That being the case, you will be required to destroy all copies of the documents, scripts, modules etc that you received from me. By valid reason I mean for example a large discrepancy between the initial requirements and the end result in terms of functionality, performance or other parameters, that is due to the quality of my work and that I can’t fix. An invalid reason is for example a trading system that does not prove profitable in simulation or real trading, as long as the system meets the initial functional requirements.

Intellectual Property

11. You are the owner of all trading indicators, algorithms or any other original techniques that you share with me during the project development, and I will not disclose them to any individual or entity.

Ownership

12. Normally you are the owner of the deliverables. In some cases however, if these deliverables are to be resold for example, we may have to make different licensing arrangements.