How to become a multi-programmer company....

[OrthoDocSoft]

Folks,

I am happy to report that my first application is almost, IMHO, ready for sale. After sales occur, I need to hire programmers to take over some of what I'm doing.

Can anyone advise me how best to start that? What I mean is how do I let someone work on my code without risking that he/she takes a copy of the program and just walks off with it. I saw someone mention "Vault"; what is that? And what other issues do I need to worry about?

I would appreciate any advice in this, since I'm brand new at it. Whole sentences not necessary.

Thanks,

Ortho

"you cain't fix 'stupid'...

 

[gmmastros]

In my opinion, you won't be able to protect the sorce code while simultaneously allowing someone to work on it.

Before you hire your first programmer, hire a lawyer and ask him to draw up a non-compete agreement. When you interview programmers, make sure they understand that they will only get hired if they sign the agreement.

-George
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
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"The great things about standards is that there are so many to choose from." - Fortune Cookie Wisdom

 

[OrthoDocSoft]

I have a lawyer, and would certainly do that. I was hoping there was a way to let people "use" the code without seeing it all. Maybe some compiled .dlls....

Thanks George

Please others keep making suggestions....

"you cain't fix 'stupid'...

 

[Andrzejek]

You have mentioned Vault. Vault is just another version of Visual Source Save (Microsoft product, I think), it is a repository where you keep your code. Especially nice to have when you work in multi-programmer environment, but it is not design to protect your code from theft. It is just library which programmers can use to ‘check out’ the code they will work on, and then ‘check it back in’ when they are done. You have there e version control, you can see who has what checked out, etc.

You can find more about it here


Have fun.

---- Andy

 

[OrthoDocSoft]

Thanks guys,

I can see it simply boils down to TRUST!

Ortho

"you cain't fix 'stupid'...

 

[dilettante]

Trust and contracts, but ideally that's the same thing anyway. Contracts just spell out the points of trust so nobody can weasel later.

 

[tedsmith]

Break the final project into different tasks and have different programmers only work on one task.
Only you put the final thing together.

I presume these people will not really be inventing anything and only making applications so there is nothing a lawyer can do to stop them using the same technique elsewhere for other purposes.