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Guides on hiring and getting value from software
Straight answers to the questions people ask me before starting a project: what it costs, what makes sense, what the risks are and how to decide without the jargon.
Custom software development cost in 2026: Mexico vs the US
Most 2026 benchmarks put custom software between $25,000 and $250,000, with small and mid-sized projects usually at $30,000–$100,000 according to a GoodFirms survey. Building with a nearshore developer in Mexico typically costs well under half the US hourly rate, but scope, integrations and maintenance move the total far more than location does.
Hiring nearshore · 7 minHow much does it cost to hire a web developer in Mexico?
Published 2026 benchmarks put web developers in Mexico at roughly $22–$38 per hour for juniors, $38–$58 for mid-level and $55–$78 for seniors, versus $100–$150 for a comparable senior in the US. What you actually pay depends on whether you hire directly, through a freelancer or through an agency, and on how well the scope is defined.
Data · 6 minIs web scraping legal? What US case law says (and a note on Mexico)
Scraping publicly available data is generally not a federal crime in the US: after the Supreme Court's Van Buren decision, the Ninth Circuit held in hiQ v. LinkedIn that accessing public pages likely is not "without authorization" under the CFAA. But scraping can still breach a site's terms of use, copyright or privacy laws, which is how hiQ ultimately lost. This is not legal advice.
AI · 6 minWhatsApp chatbot for business: how the API works and what it costs
A WhatsApp chatbot for business runs on the official WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API): your bot receives messages through a webhook and replies with your own logic or an AI model. Since July 1, 2025 Meta charges per template message delivered, while replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are free.
Automation · 6 minHow to automate Excel reports with Python (practical guide)
To automate an Excel report with Python, use pandas to read and combine the source files, clean the data, calculate the summaries you build by hand today, and write the result to a new workbook; openpyxl handles formatting, and a scheduler such as cron or Windows Task Scheduler runs it every day or week without anyone opening Excel.
Hiring nearshore · 6 minFreelance developer vs agency: how to choose (and where nearshore fits)
Hire a freelance developer when the project is well defined, fits one person's skills and you want direct communication at a lower rate. Hire an agency when you need several specialists at once, committed capacity or managed delivery. Nearshore developers in Mexico or Latin America can be either, with the advantage of working in your time zone.
Web development · 6 minLanding page vs website: which one does your business need?
A landing page is a single page built for one goal, usually converting visitors from an ad or campaign. A website is a set of pages that explains your business, ranks for many searches and supports customers over time. If you are testing an offer or running ads, start with a landing page; if you want organic traffic and credibility, you need a website.
Software quality · 6 minWhat is software QA testing, and how do you know your system needs it?
Software QA (quality assurance) is the set of practices that make sure software works as intended before it reaches users: defining what "correct" means, testing features and integrations, automating regression checks and catching security issues early. If every release breaks something that used to work, or nobody can say what was tested, your system needs QA.