Don't ask a dev to
Your developer friend is not your IT helpdesk, free employee, or coding teacher.
Got a friend who codes? A cousin in tech? A coworker who "knows computers"?
Before you ask them to fix your printer, build your app idea, or explain why your Wi-Fi is slow...
Read this.
❌ We're Not IT Support
Developers write software. That doesn't mean we fix all technology.
Fix your printer
Why this is annoying
We debug code, not hardware. Developers aren't IT support. Just because someone works with computers doesn't mean they know how to fix your printer, router, or phone.
What to do instead: Check the manual, Google the error message, or call IT support. We're not the tech fix-all you're looking for.
❌ We're Not Your Free Employee
Ideas are worthless. Execution is everything.
Build your startup for free
Why this is annoying
Everyone has app ideas. Building them takes hundreds (or thousands) of hours. Your "million-dollar idea" isn't worth our time unless you're paying for it.
What to do instead: Budget appropriately and hire a professional, or learn to code and build it yourself. Ideas without execution are just daydreams.
❌ Respect Our Time & Boundaries
Just because we're friends doesn't mean we're on call 24/7.
"Look at this real quick"
Why this is annoying
We have lives outside of coding. Asking for "quick favors" at 11 PM, during dinner, or at social events is a boundary violation.
What to do instead: Ask during reasonable hours. Respect that off-time is off-time. If it's urgent AND you're paying, say so upfront.
❌ Unrealistic Expectations
Development takes time and has constraints.
"It should be easy, right?"
Why this is annoying
Nothing is "quick" or "simple" in development. Every feature takes time to build, test, and deploy properly. Rushing leads to bugs and security issues.
What to do instead: Be realistic about timelines. Understand that quality work costs money. If you can't afford professional rates, use a website builder like Squarespace.
❌ Ask Questions The Right Way
If you need help, at least make it easy for us to help you.
"It's broken"
Why this is annoying
"It's broken" tells us nothing. We can't read your mind or see your screen. Vague problem descriptions waste everyone's time.
What to do instead: Provide context. What were you trying to do? What happened? What error message did you get? What have you already tried? Screenshots help.
✅ If You MUST Ask for Help...
Sometimes you actually need dev help. Here's how to ask without being annoying.
✅ Provide context
❌ "It's broken"
✅ "I tried to deploy to Heroku, got error H10. Here's the log: [paste]"
✅ Show what you tried
❌ "How do I fix this?"
✅ "I Googled the error, tried solutions A and B, still getting [result]"
✅ Respect their time
❌ "Can you look at this real quick?"
✅ "Do you have 30 minutes this week? I can pay/buy coffee."
✅ Be realistic about scope
❌ "I need a full e-commerce site by Friday"
✅ "What's a realistic timeline and budget for [thing]?"
✅ Accept "no" gracefully
❌ "Come on, it'll only take 5 minutes!"
✅ "No worries, I understand. Thanks anyway!"
✅ Offer fair compensation
❌ "I'll mention you on social media"
✅ "What's your hourly rate?"
Seriously though...
We're not trying to be jerks. We love helping people learn and build cool things.
But our skills, time, and expertise have value.
Look, we actually love helping people learn.
What we'll happily do:
- ✅ Point you to good tutorials
- ✅ Explain concepts if you're genuinely trying
- ✅ Review code if you show effort
- ✅ Debug if you've already Googled it
What we won't do:
- ❌ Do your work for you
- ❌ Be unpaid IT support
- ❌ Build your business for free
- ❌ Fix your printer
If you want to learn to code:
If your printer is broken:
- Turn it off and on again
- Check if it's out of paper
- Google the error message
- Accept that printers are cursed