The Client That Drained 7 Months of My Life
Tio Satria
There are projects that challenge you, help you grow, and push your skills to new heights.
Then there are projects that make you question your entire career and the sanity of mankind.
This is a story about the latter.
The Beginning: A Simple Company Profile Site
It started with what looked like a straightforward gig: build a modern, responsive company profile website. I scoped the project honestly — one week max, with all the bells and whistles included.
I wasn’t just building a site. I gave them:
- Free performance improvements
- A clean modern stack
- SEO optimization
- Free consultation sessions
- Visual upgrades
- Tech stack audit and fixes they didn’t even ask for
I overdelivered like I always do. Because that’s how I work. You treat people right, and they’ll treat you right, right?
Wrong.
The Wait. And Wait. And Wait.
Weeks passed. Then months.
Revisions came in slower than molasses in January. Feedback was vague, sometimes contradictory, and often came after weeks of silence.
Every time I thought we were done:
“Oh sorry, forgot to mention one more thing…”
Again. And again. And again. Until seven. F*cking. Months. Had passed.
For a project that should’ve been wrapped in five business days.
The Mental Tax
I don’t mind hard work. What I do mind is disrespect. When someone drags their feet endlessly, lowballs your rate, and forgets you exist until they suddenly need something again — that’s not just inefficient, it’s insulting.
You clear your schedule. You prioritize them. They ghost you. Then act like you’re the one who’s been unavailable.
It’s not just unprofessional. It’s borderline incompetent.
The Turning Point: Never Again
This client taught me something valuable:
Effort doesn’t always equal respect.
I used to believe that giving more would build long-term trust. That investing in people would pay off eventually.
But now?
I believe in clear terms, upfront contracts, and setting boundaries like your life depends on it — because it does.
Next time:
- Clear scope
- Timeline with auto-approval clauses
- Charges for additional revisions
- Explicit licensing terms for source code
- Late response penalties
- And a non-negotiable kill fee
Because some people don’t deserve your kindness — they abuse it.
Conclusion: Don’t Let Them Win Twice
Yes, they drained me.
But they won’t get the source code without paying for it. That wasn’t in the deal.
And more importantly?
They won’t get another minute of my time — mentally or emotionally.
Protect your energy. Protect your value. Charge what you're worth. And never forget — time is your most precious resource.
I could’ve shipped ten other projects in the time it took to babysit one.
Never again.