How I went from programming to consulting (2012) • Hacker News Board

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#171

Post by putnam » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:33 PM UTC

AFNobody wrote: post #137

putnam wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You think being a consultant is as rare as becoming an actor?

A consultant making 5 figures a week, in practical terms, is a unicorn that is not reliably repeatable. Most people cannot maintain that level of marketing while maintaining an income (as a consultant) effectively. If they could, every programmer would try to transition into making 5 figures a week as a consultant instead of making $100-200k with a stable job. The $4k/week thing isn't since pretty much any decent con…

Why can they not maintain that level of marketing? What is stopping them?

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#172

Post by raldu » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:33 PM UTC

dleslie wrote: post #65

kleiba wrote: post #57

To this day, I'm still not quite clear about what a consultant actually does. I mean, beyond some vague idea ("goes to some company, talks with people, gives some recommendation"). I'd really love for someone to give some example or describe in a tangible way what the work of a consultant entails, what skills one typically needs and actually employs, what a typical gig looks like from beginning to end and so on. If a…

Having been in a position where a consultant was foisted upon me by management, at several different companies, near as I can tell they are paid huge sums to restate what the team already knows and has been saying needs to be done. Only they provide it with an approach and language which management can understand.

In the case you mentioned, that's basically "credibility."

Although a lame story, Let's say you are responsible for initiating and managing a new software project in your company with complex bureaucracy and management. You have found that it is highly feasible to work with Agile methodology instead of Waterfall.

But Waterfall has been how the things had always been done, yet you know that the team is ready for Agile and project is an exact type of work that would benefit from some "lean" approaches. Worse still, management won't listen, also because "The Board" won't listen.

What you do is that you go to that well-known, highly-paid consultant, discuss the situation and he basically says, "OK, You are right. Also this and that."

Then in your presentation to the board while pitching Agile, you say, "Agile is the way to go. I asked Patrick Kalzumeus, and he said it was a good idea."

And that's it.

That "credibility" is one of many ways how a business consultant may "add value" to a highly organized company.

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#173

Post by kamaal » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:33 PM UTC

ineedasername wrote: post #138

putnam wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You think being a consultant is as rare as becoming an actor?

Not everyone can be in the top 1% of paid professionals in their field. That extends to acting or consulting. And there simply aren't enough clients that can pay that much to support a significant increase in the # of folks pulling down those fees, regardless of the quality of the service offered. If 100 Michael Jordans showed up tomorrow, that would just increase competition for the same scarce resource of NBA playe…

>>Not everyone can be in the top 1% of paid professionals in their field.

The whole point of the 1% is the remaining 99%. The axiom of this game is there are filters enough to filter out the 99%.

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#174

Post by putnam » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:34 PM UTC

mgkimsal wrote: post #147

AFNobody wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A consultant making 5 figures a week, in practical terms, is a unicorn that is not reliably repeatable. Most people cannot maintain that level of marketing while maintaining an income (as a consultant) effectively. If they could, every programmer would try to transition into making 5 figures a week as a consultant instead of making $100-200k with a stable job. The $4k/week thing isn't since pretty much any decent con…

That person making 5 figures per week often doesn't need or want to be working 'repeatably' or have a full schedule. A couple folks I know charge $15k-$20k/week, but they only care to take on a few of those per year, while pursuing other interests (other business ideas, etc). Even $30k/week is still selling time for money, and "isn't scalable" - maxing out at $1.5m/year even fully booked, which few are.

Are they in-person jobs?

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#175

Post by emodendroket » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:34 PM UTC

Retric wrote: post #163

ineedasername wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everyone can be in the top 1% of paid professionals in their field. That extends to acting or consulting. And there simply aren't enough clients that can pay that much to support a significant increase in the # of folks pulling down those fees, regardless of the quality of the service offered. If 100 Michael Jordans showed up tomorrow, that would just increase competition for the same scarce resource of NBA playe…

I would argue that increasing the number and quality of great actors increases the profitably of movie studios, and thus the number of movies made. Similarly with sports, there is a huge range of player incomes and assuming the sport becomes more interesting to watch and thus profitable their would be room for more highly compensated players.

Today's pro sports players are, as a rule, far better than pro sports players in the past. Why isn't this happening already? People only have so much time and attention. Also, many leagues operate with salary caps.

You also mentioned movies, but a lack of competent actors is far from the biggest reason there aren't more movies being produced.

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#176

Post by chrishacken » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:34 PM UTC

ineedasername wrote: post #138

putnam wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You think being a consultant is as rare as becoming an actor?

Not everyone can be in the top 1% of paid professionals in their field. That extends to acting or consulting. And there simply aren't enough clients that can pay that much to support a significant increase in the # of folks pulling down those fees, regardless of the quality of the service offered. If 100 Michael Jordans showed up tomorrow, that would just increase competition for the same scarce resource of NBA playe…

Not everyone can; but anyone can.

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#177

Post by maneesh » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:36 PM UTC

AFNobody wrote: post #137

putnam wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You think being a consultant is as rare as becoming an actor?

A consultant making 5 figures a week, in practical terms, is a unicorn that is not reliably repeatable. Most people cannot maintain that level of marketing while maintaining an income (as a consultant) effectively. If they could, every programmer would try to transition into making 5 figures a week as a consultant instead of making $100-200k with a stable job. The $4k/week thing isn't since pretty much any decent con…

I used to have a similar scarcity mentality --- thinking that because other people were successful, it was like the lottery -- based purely on chance.

But I learned over time to develop a abundance mentality -- rather than say 'it can't be done' -- to change my mode of thinking to say 'how did they do it, and is there anything for me to learn.'

A consultant making 5 figures a week is not a unicorn, it's not even that uncommon. But it's not just coding -- there's other steps that are also necessary but not sufficient. Building a reputation, building a following (a blog or email newsletter is a good way to get started), meeting people who open doors, etc.

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#178

Post by danenania » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:37 PM UTC

iends wrote: post #106

hashkb wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be a "skilled backend programmer" but now I "help entrepreneurs start their businesses." See the difference?

Are entrepreneurs that are starting their business really a niche that pays well? Seems like it wouldn't be. Seems like you get either "build me the next facebook for $500" or a lot of small business with a total budget of $5000.

In general, you're right, but there's a sub-niche of entrepreneurs who are either independently wealthy or have easy access to capital that keep all the MVP-building agencies and consultants afloat.

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#179

Post by borplk » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:37 PM UTC

ZenoArrow wrote: post #162

borplk wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A huge huge part of it is just persona, profile, reputation and perception. A fancy consultant with a laundry list of "credentials" will be automatically trusted. When Joe Schmoe developer says the same thing it will be dismissed. You can see a variation of this happen with books, particularly self-help books. A nobody author writes lots of valuable stuff and people flick through it and go mehhh. A famous self-help p…

> "The point is if you ignore this or don't understand it you are going to be disappointed." You can recognise it exists whilst still being disappointed that it exists. Someone I work with suggested "Perception is the only reality", which seems to fit here.

> You can recognise it exists whilst still being disappointed that it exists.

Yep.

To me an interesting contrast to what I said is Bitcoin.

It has legs of its own to stand on and therefore does not need to borrow credibility from the author.

Imagine if books and blog posts and movies and art work didn't have the author/creator next to it. Interesting to think how people's reactions would change.

Re: How I went from programming to consulting (2012)

#180

Post by mcguire » Sat, Dec 23, 2017, 5:37 PM UTC

putnam wrote: post #130

CyberDildonics wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He used an exaggerated metaphor to illustrate that pragmatically, not everyone can market themselves to become well known, no matter how good they are at writing software. You then turned that into an irrelevant comparison of the difficulty of becoming an actor vs a consultant.

Thank you. Do you think that someone who is good at writing software can not learn to market themselves to become well known?

"Can not learn?" No.

Not interested in / willing to spend the time to do it? Marketing yourself is a full time job.