The unpaid scoping trap
Why dev shops give away weeks of pre-contract work, why “we’ll formalize it later” is where margin dies, and how writing the build out first turns scoping into the close.
The Corridor
Writing from the US–India software corridor.
Specific, evidence-backed notes for the people who actually run the work — scoping, contracts, payments, acceptance, and the record of what shipped. No fluff, sources where it counts.
Why the client’s lawyer is slowing down your close
What US counsel actually red-flags in an offshore SoW — IP assignment under Indian law, governing law, data terms — and what a sign-ready SoW looks like from the shop’s side. Educational, not legal advice.
Getting paid across the corridor
The operational reality of USD inflows into India: FEMA context, RBI purpose codes, why wires stall, invoice hygiene, and milestone-linked payment schedules. Practical and sourced.
Acceptance criteria a client can’t argue with
How to write “done” so disputes default in your favor. Before-and-after examples of vague versus checkable acceptance criteria, and the deemed-acceptance clause that shifts the default.
The delivery record is the new portfolio
Screenshots and testimonials are claims. A tamper-evident record of what was agreed and what shipped is proof — and for a dev shop, it is a moat you own instead of platform-locked reviews.