How to answer politely to the "I give you my strategy for free, you code it for free"?

[Fernando Jose Velasco Borea]

Hey all!

How to answer politely to the "I give you my strategy for free, you code it for free"?

I just want to hear some opinions about coding EAs and well, I do understand why a straight no is the answer to a proposal like that from a "client". You can't ask for a free meal at a restaurant just because you told the chef how to cook it your way. Now, what do you think is the best way to politely answering to those kinds of proposals?

Regards,

Fernando

[Keith Watford]

I used to get a lot of that.

Sometimes I'd code using a tried and "proven" strategy and after I'd finished, they'd come back to me and ask me to add additional filters. Why would they need that? The strategy was "proven", right?

I think that the best answer is to tell them to trade with their brilliant strategy until they make enough money to be able to pay someone to code an EA. After all, it won't take them long to build up enough profits, will it?

[Mahrukh Aleem]

just say no.

[William Roeder]

Mahrukh Aleem: just say no.

Exactly:

Help you with what? You haven't stated a problem, you stated a want. Show us your attempt (using the CODE button) and state the nature of your problem.
          No free help
          urgent help.

Or pay someone. Top of every page is the link Freelance.
          Hiring to write script - General - MQL5 programming forum

[Anthony Garot]

Now, what do you think is the best way to politely answering to those kinds of proposals?

Put the ball back into their court.

By that I mean, if someone insists that their strategy works, ask for hard evidence . . . a CSV of trading history, an equity curve, etc. Something verifiable. Their inability to deliver evidence will typically end the conversation.

[Alain Verleyen]

Fernando Jose Velasco Borea:

Hey all!

How to answer politely to the "I give you my strategy for free, you code it for free"?

I just want to hear some opinions about coding EAs and well, I do understand why a straight no is the answer to a proposal like that from a "client". You can't ask for a free meal at a restaurant just because you told the chef how to cook it your way. Now, what do you think is the best way to politely answering to those kinds of proposals?

Regards,

Fernando

Just stay away from such people. There is not even a need to answer and to lost time discussing. This will never become a good customer for a serious job.

[Icham Aidibe]

I think that the strategy prevails on the code itself, even if a strategy is non-ideally coded it may be profitable.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who has tried many like : individually each indicators, hedging, martingale etc ... these are well known and common strategies ... you'll find plenty of on the internet

But what about those kind of strategies called "holygraals" here around ... Well it may be your buddy's one - how would you know but by checking ? 

So yes, personnally, if based on my experience I trust in a strategy offered by someone, somewhere then I may accept to give a try depending on my availability

EDIT : Recently I was reading a paper about the creators of Instagram and it's indeed common to see one bringing the concept (Systrom) and another one bringing the code (Krieger)

[Fernando Jose Velasco Borea]

Keith Watford:

I used to get a lot of that.

Sometimes I'd code using a tried and "proven" strategy and after I'd finished, they'd come back to me and ask me to add additional filters. Why would they need that? The strategy was "proven", right?

I think that the best answer is to tell them to trade with their brilliant strategy until they make enough money to be able to pay someone to code an EA. After all, it won't take them long to build up enough profits, will it?

Yeah, I agree with you, after all, they should have plenty of profits to afford freelancers putting into code their super profit making systems.

[Fernando Jose Velasco Borea]

Anthony Garot:

Put the ball back into their court.

By that I mean, if someone insists that their strategy works, ask for hard evidence . . . a CSV of trading history, an equity curve, etc. Something verifiable. Their inability to deliver evidence will typically end the conversation.

Sounds like a great answer actually! I'll do that if I get more of those requests, after all, if they deliver proofs, then I think the knowledge and tools exchange from the programmer to the trader and viceversa will be fair!

[Fernando Jose Velasco Borea]

Alain Verleyen:
Just stay away from such people. There is not even a need to answer and to lost time discussing. This will never become a good customer for a serious job.

Yeah, I think the instances where the negotiation is worth it are very small

[Fernando Jose Velasco Borea]

Icham Aidibe:

I think that the strategy prevails on the code itself, even if a strategy is non-ideally coded it may be profitable.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who has tried many like : individually each indicators, hedging, martingale etc ... these are well known and common strategies ... you'll find plenty of on the internet

But what about those kind of strategies called "holygraals" here around ... Well it may be your buddy's one - how would you know but by checking ? 

So yes, personnally, if based on my experience I trust in a strategy offered by someone, somewhere then I may accept to give a try depending on my availability

EDIT : Recently I was reading a paper about the creators of Instagram and it's indeed common to see one bringing the concept (Systrom) and another one bringing the code (Krieger)

Sounds like a good perspective, if the strategy makes sense from an edge to the market point if view, and if it's proven to work either via audited accounts or something like that it may worth the shoot!