The document provides advice for working with different types of clients as a freelancer or small game development studio. It identifies 7 types of difficult clients: 1) those who don't know what they want, 2) greedy clients, 3) those who change requirements frequently, 4) lazy or unresponsive clients, 5) clients who are too active, 6) asshole clients, and 7) clients who want impossible things. For each type, it provides strategies like creating detailed requirements documents, careful budgeting and estimation, clear communication, and setting boundaries. Overall recommendations include clarifying requirements, having a schedule, giving regular updates, and maintaining a collaborative working relationship.

1. that you ever should not work with
Valerii Minenko
Founder & Owner at Twigames
7clients

2. Who am I?
10 years in IT
7 years in game development
From 2015 – founder of Twigames studio

3. Why I’m talk?
Many small projects – many different clients
In different areas
And different styles of games
From many locations
Сustomer-oriented approach, not stable
(chaos-style) development process

4. Who are you?
Freelancer
Small studio
Client!

5. Most frequent and most risky one
If you don’t understand what he wants – very
likely you will create something that he would
not like and need
Big risk to provide invalid estimates
1. He doesn’t know what he wants

6. Clarifying requirements is your job
Create GDD (at least for 2 first milestones)
Make client to pay for it (never happens)
Pay for it yourself, then add money for it to
the budget and hope that it will ride
Add additional risks to the budget for unclear
features
1. He doesn’t know what he wants

7. Wants to spend money as less as it is possible
Argues about budget
When you try to add risks – he says that you
should not worry, everything will be fine (it
won’t be)
Quality falls, project looks horrible, so neither
you nor the client likes it. Client is not satisfied
and thinks that it is you fail (and he is right)
2. He is greedy

8. 2. He is greedy
Most detailed GDD and estimates ever
He will understand better why you charge
money
He would be able to cut some features if he
does not have enough resources

9. 3. He changes requirements every day
Review of GDD is always a stress (especially if
you review the budget)
Estimate suggests some sequence of
development
More changes – more difficult to provide
correct estimate

10. 3. He changes requirements every day
Be ready for that (it is all about Agile)
GDD always helps
Do small fixes for free (everybody likes gifts)
If you have to review budget too often
multiply your rate for changes

11. 4. He is lazy (unresponsive) one
Breaks development process
Breaks deadlines
Does not give you a feedback so it cause a risk
to create something wrong and useless

12. 4. He is lazy (unresponsive) one
Regular meetings
Make him work with your team
Give him an access to the repository
Stop work and make him wait
Move deadlines

13. 5. He is too active
Distracts from the process
Takes too much of your time

14. 5. He is too active
Create a schedule for meeting
Define feedback process
Add some time between feedback and its
implementation, give him time to think
Ignore unscheduled messages

15. 6. He is an asshole
You just hate to communicate to him

16. 6. He is an asshole
Budget x2
If does not help – budget x3

17. 7. He is stupid
Wants impossible things
Wants to add shitty features

18. 7. He is stupid
Stop and think – maybe “stupid” is about you?
Always say sorry (works for your girlfriend,
works for you client)
Explain
Explain
Explain one more time
Just do it!
And take it easy

19. 10 advices for you
1. Make requirements clear to everybody
2. Note them somewhere
3. Involve client into the process
4. Have a schedule
5. Talk to your client
6. Give him updates as often as it is possible
7. Make him gifts
8. Be critical to yourself
9. Say ‘sorry’
10. Take it easy

20. 10 advices for your client
1. You should work as well
2. Be part of the process
3. Listen to your developers
4. But don’t trust them
5. Play your game
6. Ask if you don’t understand
7. Show only half of available budget
8. Change requirements if you need it
9. Say ‘sorry’
10. Don’t be greedy

21. Thank you!
Questions?
valerii@twigames.co
https://www.facebook.com/valeriy.minenko
https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerii-minenko