By skyforbes 
It was a quiet Sunday afternoon. I was just relaxing and scrolling through my phone when suddenly it rang. I looked at the screen — an unknown number. I thought, “Let’s pick it up. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Hello, is this Hemant?” the voice on the other side asked.
“Yes, speaking. Who is this?” I replied.
“I’m the CEO of ‘XYZ’ from ‘ABC’ Company in Gujarat. We have an app on the Play Store with over 500,000 downloads.”
Now, that caught my attention. 500k+ downloads is not a small thing. I quickly said, “Wow, that’s great! How can I help you?”
App Link: — https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.show.mybook&hl=en_IN
“I’m looking for someone to recreate our existing app. It’s currently in Kotlin, and I want it in Flutter. I found your profile on LinkedIn, and I feel you’re the best fit for this work.”
I felt flattered. “Thank you, man! But how did you get my number?” I asked, curious.
He laughed a little and said, “I saw your LinkedIn profile. You post a lot about Flutter, so I searched a bit more and got your number from your resume there.”
Okay, fair enough. LinkedIn doing its job, I thought.
“Cool. So, do you have Figma designs and API documentation for the app?” I asked.
He hesitated for a second. “I don’t have any Figma designs, but I can get the APIs ready soon. By the way, the app uses AWS S3 for data storage.”
Alright, no designs. That’s not great, but I decided to ask more.
| The Problem
He started telling me about the app and then mentioned something that raised a red flag.
“I had hired a Flutter intern earlier. He worked on this app for three months but then left the project halfway when he got a full-time job at another company.”
“Oh, okay,” I said. “Can you share the code he worked on?”
“Yes, I’ll send it to you,” he replied. “But it’s in a zip file. I don’t know anything about GitHub or version control.”
Now, this made me pause. A CEO of an app with 500k+ downloads who doesn’t use GitHub? That’s tricky. But I decided to hear him out.
| The Offer
Finally, I asked, “What’s the budget for this project?”
He said, “Around $300–$400. Also, I’ll give you full credit for the app on LinkedIn.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Rebuilding an app, especially one with so many downloads, for that price? Plus, LinkedIn credit? It didn’t make sense to me.
I told him, “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think I’m the right person for this project.”
He was polite and said, “Okay, no problem. Let’s stay in touch.”
And that was it. I hung up the call, feeling I had made the right decision.
| Why I Said No
- The Budget Was Too Low: Building an app is not easy. It takes time, effort, and skill. The payment should reflect that.
- No Clarity: There were no designs, incomplete documentation, and the code was in a zip file. It felt like the project would be a lot of guesswork.
- Working with Non-Tech Clients is Tough: It’s not their fault, but it means extra effort to explain everything and align expectations. I didn’t want to take that risk for this project.
- I Have a Full-Time Job: Managing a complex freelance project along with a job is not easy. I knew it wouldn’t be worth the stress.
| What I Learned
This call taught me something important: not every opportunity is worth taking. It’s okay to say no when the project doesn’t feel right.
If you’re a developer, here’s my advice:
- Know Your Worth: Don’t undervalue your skills. Good work deserves good pay.
- Check the Client’s Setup: Look for proper resources like designs, documentation, and clarity on what they want.
- Be Honest About Your Time: If you can’t give 100% to a project, it’s better not to take it.
I don’t regret saying no. Sometimes, the best decision is to walk away. And who knows? Maybe the next call will be the perfect project.
For now, I’ll keep focusing on my work, sharing my Flutter journey, and learning more every day. That’s what matters.
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