After the 4th time of being reminded to log all possible hours, including those for which I’m mostly researching and not producing code or deliverables, I’m finally just doing it. I hate billing for low impact activities. A) Because I’m slow at everything and B) If I were the client I’d be pissed that I got charged 2 hours for what amounted to 10 minutes of actual coding and launching the feature.

I did this before. Once they realized how much they were getting for "free" they stopped asking for it.

The hours of research _are_ the actual coding. A dev isn't a typist.

A man came once to the great artist Hokosai and ordered a painting of a flower. After a week he returned to see the progress but the artist hasn't started yet. So he patiently waited and returned one month later. But no, Hokusai has still not started the painting. After one year the client returned but was told the artist is still not ready. When the man returned after nine more years fiercefully demanding his picture, the artist sighed, took a brush and in one move drawed the most perfect blossom you could imagine. The client was happy with the painting but still angry and asked: Why did i have to wait ten years when it took you only one minute to make this? But the Hokusai answered: Because it took me ten years to practise.