[LRUG] Rails marketability

[Mark Coleman]

Hello,

I had a IM chat with Dr Nic last week  and I was wondering what your  
experiences are... The bit that got me thinking was this:

> Me: In the current economic climate, do you think rails has  
> advantages over other frameworks?
>
> Dr Nic: Oh shit yes.
>
> Tough times are when start asking the big questions: what tools and  
> processes can be use to get this job done with less (staff, time,  
> resources)? Agile development means you get the core 80% done with  
> 20% of the "normal" belated effort of a traditional, over-running  
> project. Rails is still the best web dev toolset for efficient,  
> rapid web development.
>
> Rails developers and agile development thought leaders need to be  
> shouting this stuff from the roof tops. Or rather, from the  
> boardrooms and sales calls. Similarly, developers in all fields  
> should take the time now to learn Rails and learn the basics of  
> agile development now so they make themselves more valuable. Its  
> exciting times, really.
[ The full chat is posted http://www.rails-underground.com/2009/04/interview-with-dr-nic.html 
  ]

My question is: Do you find that clients are interested in Rails? Is  
it something you would emphasise when bidding for work? Is it the  
framework itself, or the benefits that it can bring that people  
recognise?

Mostly, my clients are not that web savvy or technical, so I would  
tend to focus on the advantages that Rails can provide, like rapid  
prototyping, a faster time to market, well-tested, easier to maintain  
code, etc. Like any good user requirements document, they are not  
interested in the technical implementation :)

I wonder if more technically aware clients ask for rails specifically,  
or are more interested in rails because they are aware of its  
advantages; or whether they concentrate on the benefits only. I guess  
another way of putting it would be: does Rails have a good brand name  
in business? Can you use it as a shorthand for good quality? Or maybe  
the opposite? Does the 'rails can't scale' shit stick?

Cheers,
Mark