Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

news.ycombinator.com

131–140 of 171 posts

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#131
post #120
post #20

I've had good success hiring developers for short-term project work through https://gun.io .

Good luck getting paid on gun.io, if the buyer just decides they want the work for free then they can take it and wander off. Gun.io doesn't care because who is bringing them money?

Is this a hypothetical, or are you speaking from experience?

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#132
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use upwork to sub-out work that I don't have time to tackle or for tasks that I lack expertise in. Once I've found someone on the platform that is really talented at what they do, I return to them for subsequent projects that need their skillset. The challenge on that platform is finding the people that stand out since there are so many low-bar contributors. Examples of work that I use it for are simple html/css st…

> since there are so many low-bar contributors. That's because there are so many low-bar employers. Many of whom are also hanging out places like HN, complaining that there are no good developers while praising anything which drives down wages. To know why there are few good developers, look no further than the market price. It doesn't justify top effort. I could sweat blood competing on price and throughput with peo…

I think we're on the same page. I don't use the platform to get work for myself, but I don't think it's a completely useless platform. That's all I was trying to convey.

It has its place and I do my part to make sure that the qualified people that I hire on it are well compensated with clear expectations and no need to hope for tips. Maybe I'm doing them a disservice by offering a glimpse of sunlight on a platform that otherwise stacks the cards against them. You have me wondering.

I 100% agree with you that it's mostly a crap shoot of competing with people that have a cost of living that is so utterly different that ours that it's impossible to make a living. But I do think there are some niche skills where this is not the case and people with a high cost of living can still thrive on the platform.

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#133
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use upwork to sub-out work that I don't have time to tackle or for tasks that I lack expertise in. Once I've found someone on the platform that is really talented at what they do, I return to them for subsequent projects that need their skillset. The challenge on that platform is finding the people that stand out since there are so many low-bar contributors. Examples of work that I use it for are simple html/css st…

> since there are so many low-bar contributors. That's because there are so many low-bar employers. Many of whom are also hanging out places like HN, complaining that there are no good developers while praising anything which drives down wages. To know why there are few good developers, look no further than the market price. It doesn't justify top effort. I could sweat blood competing on price and throughput with peo…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#134
I've done this by reaching out to friends and old work colleagues to see what they're up to and offering to help. Because it's people you know it is much easier to make arrangements you will both be happy with. After 15 years working in software that turns out to be quite a lot of people, especially if you take the time to regularly reach out to people via LinkedIn etc.

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#135
Anyone, currently looking for a remote front-end developer? I am full-stack developer (tending towards front-end nowadays), I live in Lagos, Nigeria and looking for remote work. I have a strong Javascript(NodeJS, AngularJs) background with over 3yrs experience.

Portfolio: http://goo.gl/OmEpz8

Git: https://goo.gl/oYbi8F

some side projects I have done:

http://goo.gl/TGRSWg

http://goo.gl/kHcn5M

http://goo.gl/eUPozF

http://goo.gl/6orP0y

Have done more complex stuff but requires user to login.

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

at Toptal you can set your own rate in advance

I know, but that's not what I'm asking. Do you see any offers? I started registering on TopTal, but then got too lazy jumping through their hoops and not knowing what the upside is.

Toptaler here. started at $65 / hour

which is pretty middle-of-the road as far as rates go there. rarely takes me more than 2 weeks to find a new job on there. and that includes rejecting jobs I dont think i'd like.

the biggest benefits IMO are that they screen their clients very well (they know they're getting top-tier quality and arent afraid to pay top-tier rates) and negotiate to get you the rate you want. Also, they handle the billing very well, so even if the client is acting janky, you'll get paid.

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#137

Fiverr ( https://www.fiverr.com/ ), tasks usually take less than an hour and give me enough revenue to pay domains and hosting for my pet projects.

Got to disagree here. Even if your task takes only 30 minutes, by the time you add getting client's requirements and browsing for jobs each task will take 1 hour. You should not be working for $5 / hour.

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

at Toptal you can set your own rate in advance

I know, but that's not what I'm asking. Do you see any offers? I started registering on TopTal, but then got too lazy jumping through their hoops and not knowing what the upside is.

I went through the admission process end of November but before completing it I got offered a project through my network which I'm still working on today, so I will probably only start using the service next month. There is of course some amount of marketing in their claims, but I think compared to other freelancing websites they actually provide a good deal for freelancers. Also, they do the invoicing for you and make sure you get paid regularly, which I find is a valuable service.

As a freelancer it's of course always better to get gigs through your own network, but I think sites like these are a good way to get started before having this kind of connections.

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#139
Wrote about this recently: http://www.gkogan.co/blog/how-i-learned-to-get-consulting-le...

The gist of it is, as many here are saying: Don't use marketplace sites. Instead show off your knowledge in a way that gets attention of potential customers, then they'll come to you.

Re: Ask HN: What sites do you use to find contract work?

#140
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seconding this question, this is baffling to me. I could see maybe getting through the door with some less-saavy clients and collecting a pay check for a few weeks, but I can't imagine that working for long. How long are you typically employed? What happens if you encounter projects you are unable to solve, is it a fake it until you make it sort of thing?

I was offered $150/hr to manage a project once and so I accepted. I figured it out along the way and delivered the results. Since then, I start with an estimate of $150/hr when I'm calculating price. I've had one person balk and say thats crazy. one . Everyone else has either came back and said that they can't afford that, that they'd like to pay $XXX instead. Or they've said yes to $150/hr. What happens if you encou…

I know people with more than a decade of experience struggling to get $75/hr (granted, they don't do PM work - just coding). It is amazing that you pulled it off in less than a year. Neat!
Post reply on HN