F*ck You, Pay Me

Fuck you, pay me.

You are at the point where you need a lawyer when you've decided to stop being a design amateur and become a design professional.

More than anything, I would like designers to stop being "bottoms", and realize the amount of power they actually have in the relationship [with their clients].

Fuck you. Pay Them.

Fuck you. Pay me.

...neither of us really had enough business experience...Because of that, we ended up leaving a lot of money on the table.

...the minute you write a heart-wrenching letter, the minute you appeal to their emotions... You have shown them that you don't think you have a leg to stand on... You have become a bottom in that relationship.

I would like designers to stop being bottoms

Make sure that everyone understands what they've agreed to... Clear expectations, clear definitions.

Let this be a sign of what's to come and walk away from it.

Yes, you can fire a client.

There are two cheques that I write every month that I'm very happy to write. One is to [my lawyer], the second one is to my therapist.

Starting work without a contract is like putting a condom on after you've taken a home pregnancy test.

The minute they show theirs, I have to show mine.

If you know how much something costs, stand up confidently and tell them. If you don't know how much something costs, then say 'I don't, but I'm going to find out'... just sound like you know what you're talking about even when you don't because you can always find out later.

[All clients] start the business relationship with the best of intentions...and things go wrong... When those things change, you need to make sure the relationship between you and the client is set in place [in a contract].