Ask HN: When to make the jump to freelance/consultant? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: When to make the jump to freelance/consultant?

#81

Post by janetacarr » Tue, Jan 17, 2023, 3:34 PM UTC

pnathan wrote: post #71

janetacarr wrote: post #33

Personally, as a freelancer/consultant, I never think there is a right time for anything in my life. Of course, you might feel differently (and it probably is different). I'm offering advice from my perspective only, and I don't have a home to make, or children to worry about. I've been freelance/consulting/whatever for about 2 years, so make of this what you will, but I'm still early stages having just been where yo…

FWIW, I futzed with Upwork years ago. It became super clear that it wasn't where I could sell my skills (deep backend, sre) effectively and come out with outcomes good for me and the client. I do FTE work but occasionally dream of the side income (less so these days ha). :)

I think we all dream of side-income, but honestly freelancing on the side would be too exhausting for me (and employers don't typically like it).

I see the control over my time freelancing affords as my ticket to eventually make living off my own products (some day ;)

Re: Ask HN: When to make the jump to freelance/consultant?

#82

Post by johnea » Tue, Jan 17, 2023, 5:04 PM UTC

I've transitioned back and forth between employment and independent consulting several times.

The number 1 thing you need to be successful as an independent is A CUSTOMER.

Make sure you have work lined up in advance of leaving your employment.

Seems simple, but often overlooked. Especially when a person has a S/W project they've been working on, and plan to launch it into a business.

Re: Ask HN: When to make the jump to freelance/consultant?

#83

Post by throwaway81523 » Wed, Jan 18, 2023, 4:48 AM UTC

brownrw8888 wrote: post #14

[dead]

I heard toptal required doing a very long unpaid homework assignment/project to apply. Is that true? If yes I'd have to consider it a non-starter as a matter of principle.

Re: Ask HN: When to make the jump to freelance/consultant?

#84

Post by throwaway81523 » Wed, Jan 18, 2023, 4:53 AM UTC

pastacacioepepe wrote: post #73

bigmanwalter wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let's say someone working for FAANG making $300,000 USD per year (including benefits), that's roughly equivalent to $150 per hour. Could they make the same on Top Tal?

Approx 1 year ago I did part of the interview process to freelance on toptal, but I dropped as I've found a better opportunity. At the time the lowest rate you could find for a developer was $70/h. In constrast on upwork I see developers for as low as $15/h. Can't tell if you'd get $150 but it's definitely possible to get $100+.

That doesn't sound promising at all. Hourly rate for consulting should be around 2x your hourly earnings as a full time employee, so if you were getting $300K at a FAANG you should get $300/hour as a consultant. Even if you just go by your base salary (maybe your $300K FAANG compensation is $200K salary and $100K other stuff) you're still at $200/hour. There is another agency whose name I've forgotten that specializes in placing ex-FAANGsters and its rates do get up in that range.