UPDATE
The idea is a new travel site. We need help getting our vision to beta. We can offer a contracted cost with milestones plus equity depending on your level of experience and your current work load.
contact dmlevi[AT]GMAIL
What is the right developer?
A lot of start-ups are still looking for that all singing braniac super rock ninja star developer who can program 10 times as fast as everyone else.
But often they aren't willing to pay 10 times as much, or even a reasonable amount.
Keep in mind if you can't afford to pay a developer to work full time, then you need to pay them enough to make sacrificing a large portion of their social and family life in pursuit of seeing your idea succeed.
Also think about how you are pitching the idea. These guys are investors too, they are investing their time, years of experience, wisdom and hard graft into your idea. They need to believe that this will succeed if they push it hard enough.
Worst cases:
Your idea sucks - don't listen to nay-sayers so keep going even if everyone else says it won't work. Dont stop till you are ready too
Your idea is too big - break it into something smaller and more achievable
NDAs I think aren't so great either, even if a developer passes up, it makes it hard for them to recommend a someone else
If they don't pass it up, it makes it just that bit more stressful having to work very hard for an uncertain reward
Limited equity Some cash, even if it's just a token gesture (get what you pay for) A lot of gratitude Be more open, if developers can talk about your idea you might get people asking to work with or for you
Unless you've got the financial clout to go after anyone who breaches your NDA I'd guess you could hire a whole team of developers full-time. If not, well someone like Apple or Google will drown you in court if your idea really is that ground breaking. :( sad way
Options:
1. if you're looking for "your guy", (s)he needs to REALLY be part of the team. Don't tip-toe around it with vague incentives, contract-based pricing and NDAs. These things signal inconfidence.
2. Become "your guy". Or at least try. Shw that you're hustling and that this thing will get made with or without "your guy".
A 21 month University of Chicago Booth MBA runs about 160k ( http://www.chicagobooth.edu/fulltime/admissions/costs.aspx ), two of those is 320k. For just another 30k (10% more than you are already in debt/paid for) you could probably find a development shop to do an MVP. But 5k -10k on E-lance isn't going to do it. ( http://www.elance.com/j/levine-group-llc/24158220/ )
You should be trying to find a good junior/graduate and spend your seed money on giving them a full time job.
They will make mistakes, not do it the best way or the right way, but if you work closely with them then SOMETHING will get built, enough to prove your concept in the market. When your concept succeeds then you will have the money to employ someone more expensive to do it right.
Change your expectation and you will then find the right person.
Your next challenge is to be able to work out which of the many people who apply can get the job done.
Your primary mechanism for this, after shortlisting/initial interviews, is for each graduate to do a 1 day practical exercise to pull together a simple CRM app that allows creation and browsing of client details. They should have a week notice to prepare themselves for this before doing the test at your office.
You should pay them a straight salary, at the lowest end of the market. Forget anything complex and don't even talk about equity until they have proven themselves invaluable.
2. You are likely not paying enough.
