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Ask HN: Finding Remote Enterprise SW Consulting Leads: Non-US Resident Edition

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Ask HN: Finding Remote Enterprise SW Consulting Leads: Non-US Resident Edition

#1

Post by mecHacker »

Been wrestling with this for a while, figured some of you might have seen similar. The Situation: * 15+ years Enterprise Software - PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) experience, including a stint at Google. * Now based in India. * Strong US network (NY, OH, OK, CA). * Targeting direct client engagements, potentially building a small remote team. * Problem: Most remote PLM roles explicitly state US/UK/EU residency.

The Question: How do you effectively find remote PLM consulting/contracting gigs in the US when you're physically outside those regions? Freelance platforms seem to be a dead end due to the residency requirements.

Initial Thoughts (and Maybe Where I'm Going Wrong): * Leveraging existing network is a given, but feels like I'm hitting a wall. * Direct outreach to companies? Feels like a long shot, especially with the location hurdle. * Is there some niche platform or strategy I'm missing? Something beyond the usual Upwork/LinkedIn grind.

Looking For: * Specific strategies that have worked for others in similar situations. * Experiences with companies that are open to remote PLM consultants outside the typical zones. * Insights on how to navigate the legal/contractual aspects of this arrangement. Anyone cracked this nut? Any and all advice appreciated.

Re: Ask HN: Finding Remote Enterprise SW Consulting Leads: Non-US Resident Edition

#3

Post by gwbas1c »

Look at US companies that have physical locations near you. (You didn't say where you live in India.)

For example, when I was at EMC, we had a very prominent office in Bangalore, and "hired" people from that office instead of hiring contractors.

Re: Ask HN: Finding Remote Enterprise SW Consulting Leads: Non-US Resident Edition

#5

Post by mecHacker »

gwbas1c wrote: post #3

Look at US companies that have physical locations near you. (You didn't say where you live in India.) For example, when I was at EMC, we had a very prominent office in Bangalore, and "hired" people from that office instead of hiring contractors.

These physical locations are known as captive centers/global-capability-center...! And these companies are least likely to give me contracts/employment in my situation - I live away from metros in Central India (MP).

I'm looking for remote, but am open to partly visiting the client side at their expense - this was something very common with the consultants that my US employers hired in the US.

Re: Ask HN: Finding Remote Enterprise SW Consulting Leads: Non-US Resident Edition

#8

Post by candiddevmike »

It's a terrible time for US consulting IMO. Unless you're a VAR or somehow attached/aligned with a software vendor, you're fighting for dollars that companies don't have at the moment. Folks are fighting for headcount and keeping only their trusted/embedded consultants, no one seems interested in trying something new, especially with all of the "let me LLM that for you" consultancies that have sprung up. No one with money seems to care about getting better results by switching to a different integrator, they just want to keep their jobs and not rock the boat.

Re: Ask HN: Finding Remote Enterprise SW Consulting Leads: Non-US Resident Edition

#9

Post by codegeek »

Only way for someone like you is to tap into your network. If you have done 15+ years along with stints at Google etc, you must have worked with various people over these years and many of them may be in positions of authority. If you are looking to compete otherwise, there are 100 others like you who want the same thing. Just trying to give you an honest opinion.

Leveraging existing network is a given, but feels like I'm hitting a wall."

Why is that ? Think about where the roadblock is with your network and work on that. It is going to be very difficult to get huge consulting rates being in a far away timezone unless the clients already know you.

Re: Ask HN: Finding Remote Enterprise SW Consulting Leads: Non-US Resident Edition

#10

Post by talkingtab »

My unfounded belief is that the environment is changing dramatically, and will continue to change. And not because of AI. The reason is that the current internet business model if depleted. Users are weary of the lack of reasonable stuff on the internet. Personally, I use my browser less and less each day. It has become, in my opinion, pretty much a wasteland.

Given that situation, what can you do? One could just change careers. Or perhaps consider why things are this way. One path would be diagnose the current situation. Beginning with the predominant internet business model - tracking users. The number of obvious problems with this is large. I once read (not sure where) that the customer of the internet is advertisers, not users.

Things will now quickly get worse in this version of the internet. The prey (users) will now be inundated with generated content.

Yeah, yeah, I know this is dark and you don't want to read it.

However, perhaps if we consider what it is possible to do with the internet if it wasn't so polluted there is quite a bright light. Fundamentally the internet provides an enhanced way for people to interact and communicate. There are indeed examples of this happening.

I sometimes think We people are in a situation similar to a prehistoric culture that finds a steel axe. So we go around hacking everything in sight. But of course the thing about the axe is the metallurgy.

Currently it appears to me that we have pretty much hacked everything to death with the internet and created a very nice waste land. Here's looking at you Google!!! So perhaps time to consider the equivalent of the metallurgy.

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