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I must be crazy

splinter.com.au

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Re: I must be crazy

#121

Post by chubs »

ahoyhere wrote: post #113
patio11 wrote: post #49

Free advice: should there ever be a gap between the present revenues of your apps and your family's immediate financial needs, a week or six of freelancing iOS development will plug it very quickly indeed. It isn't my market, but I-heard-it-on-the-grapevine hourly rates are in the US$150~$200+ region.

OP, I'm always glad to hear when my words and my story inspire. And I realize there's no point in me telling you "Don't quit your job!" because obviously that horse has left the barn. But what Patrick says is right: consulting is a GREAT opportunity right now for iOS devs. However, where I disagree with him is this pivotal phrase: "Should there ever be a gap…" No no no! Don't wait for there to be a gap. The absolute…

Hi, You're 100% right. I wish i had the emotional stamina to persist at a painful job whilst building up something on the side like others seem to be able to do. I truly believe it is what i should have done. However, whats done is done.

And take my word for it - i harbour no illusions as to the steepness of the mountain that is facing me. Looking for consulting / freelancing work is my number 1 priority during my resignation notice period. In fact, i started today and found a couple of good gigs that i'm going to pursue. I thank patio11 for the suggestion.

Re: I must be crazy

#123

Post by mlguy »

Are the rates really that high? If so, I must be doing something wrong... .NET developer in Washington DC contracting for a major government agency, and I'm pulling in ~$100/hr (roughly $200K per year). I thought I had a great rate, and most people tell me that I am, so it's a shock for me to see someone could be pulling in $150/hr.

Re: I must be crazy

#124

Post by chc »

stevenwei wrote: post #116
minikites wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, press "Categories" at the bottom and select a category to see the "What's Hot" for said category.

Eh, I don't see this on my iPhone. Selecting a category (from the tab at the bottom) shows Top Paid, Top Free, and Release Date. No "What's Hot".

I think the iPad and Mac App Store interfaces include it, but the iPhone doesn't.

Re: I must be crazy

#125

Post by chc »

nimblegorilla wrote: post #45
chubs wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're totally right. And also, some have pointed out (quite correctly) that amy and patrick recommend starting out on the side, so let me explain further: * I have enough savings to last a few months if i sell my motorbike * I'm reasonably well connected and, if all goes badly, getting an ios contract/job in a few months time won't be hard * I already have a dozen apps on the app store, bringing in between $100-$150…

$100 per day is $3K per month. While you can't support a lavish lifestyle I think you're earning enough for the basics. Most of the naysayers are just jealous that they don't have courage to make the leap. Good luck!

Don't forget taxes. You're looking at closer to $2000 a month. That will cover rent and utilities for most people, but you better be doing something else if you enjoy eating food.

Re: I must be crazy

#126

Post by ahoyhere »

mise wrote: post #120
ahoyhere wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP, I'm always glad to hear when my words and my story inspire. And I realize there's no point in me telling you "Don't quit your job!" because obviously that horse has left the barn. But what Patrick says is right: consulting is a GREAT opportunity right now for iOS devs. However, where I disagree with him is this pivotal phrase: "Should there ever be a gap…" No no no! Don't wait for there to be a gap. The absolute…

Amy, Patrick, what's your opinion on working in a fulfilling full-time job while building up revenues, compared with consulting while building up revenues?

It can be either easier or harder. Depends on your consulting pipeline, skills, hourly rate, and the job you're comparing it to. Many jobs are pretty much clock-in, clock-out, which means that before & after work you don't have to worry. In some ways this can be better. Often you can cut back your hours to 4 days a week or some other way. (I did it; more than 1 friend has taken my advice and done this, too.) Consulting is often more stressful and demanding, even if you work much fewer hours. A steady paycheck can ease your mind; consulting pays more, but less steadily (usually). Those are the variables. I chose consulting because we worked in short, but manic, bursts, and pocketed $15-40k at a click. But YMMV.

Re: I must be crazy

#127

Post by seclorum »

dinkumthinkum wrote: post #119
cageface wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ODesk and Elance are an absolute joke. I'll give up software development entirely before I'll join the nickel & dime circus on those sites.

Yeah, I mean if those were the market rates, programming would be the worst career choice. You'd be better off as a manager at Macy's.

Wake up and smell the coffee .. this is about what the rest of the world pays for programming hours, and it should be so: programming is overpaid in the US.

Re: I must be crazy

#128

Post by ahoyhere »

chubs wrote: post #121
ahoyhere wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP, I'm always glad to hear when my words and my story inspire. And I realize there's no point in me telling you "Don't quit your job!" because obviously that horse has left the barn. But what Patrick says is right: consulting is a GREAT opportunity right now for iOS devs. However, where I disagree with him is this pivotal phrase: "Should there ever be a gap…" No no no! Don't wait for there to be a gap. The absolute…

Hi, You're 100% right. I wish i had the emotional stamina to persist at a painful job whilst building up something on the side like others seem to be able to do. I truly believe it is what i should have done. However, whats done is done. And take my word for it - i harbour no illusions as to the steepness of the mountain that is facing me. Looking for consulting / freelancing work is my number 1 priority during my re…

Good. Good luck!

Re: I must be crazy

#129

Post by [deleted] »

chubs wrote: post #121
ahoyhere wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP, I'm always glad to hear when my words and my story inspire. And I realize there's no point in me telling you "Don't quit your job!" because obviously that horse has left the barn. But what Patrick says is right: consulting is a GREAT opportunity right now for iOS devs. However, where I disagree with him is this pivotal phrase: "Should there ever be a gap…" No no no! Don't wait for there to be a gap. The absolute…

Hi, You're 100% right. I wish i had the emotional stamina to persist at a painful job whilst building up something on the side like others seem to be able to do. I truly believe it is what i should have done. However, whats done is done. And take my word for it - i harbour no illusions as to the steepness of the mountain that is facing me. Looking for consulting / freelancing work is my number 1 priority during my re…

[deleted]

Re: I must be crazy

#130

Post by alinajaf »

You're describing my situation almost exactly (i.e. making the leap to consulting with nothing lined up). I'm a few months ahead of you, and have had some serious ups and downs so far. More free advice for others considering the same:

* I don't have savings, so I took a loan amounting to about 3 months of expenses. Having cash in the bank makes me feel a lot better about doing this with a baby on the way. It also means I'm not forced to do low-paid work to make rent. Best case: You pay it all off + early payment fee when you sign your first big deal. Worst case: You get to the end of the runway and have to go back to perm work to pay it off. [1]

* It's been said many times but bears repeating: Charge more. Every lead I followed up got a daily rate roughly $200 USD more than the last. I can barely stomach quoting my current rate to clients, but I'm not going to argue with those willing to pay it. [2]

* Read about negotiation. Secrets of Power Negotiating for defence, Getting to Yes for doing the actual negotiating. Biggest bit of advice I can give personally is to shut up more often. Never talk the other person into paying you less money when they're perfectly happy paying you more!

* Same again for networking: Never Eat Alone is the standard text. If like me you have the social skills of a cave troll, How to Win Friends and Influence People is a good read.

* Remember to spend time on your thing. If you're not sure what your thing is, spend time figuring out what your thing should be (still at that stage myself). With networking, chasing client work, planning meetings and then doing client work, it can be difficult to keep this up. Alternatively, once you know what your thing is, Charge More and spend a few weeks at a time (this is my plan and something I've seen others execute successfully).

* Have actual, zero-business-value downtime. Pick up a hobby or two if you need to. I chose amateur robotics and catching up on classic SF. It will help you stay sane when things get rough (based on my experience and that of every consultant/freelancer I've spoken to, things will get rough).

Good hunting!

[1] I'm not a financial advisor, yadda yadda.

[2] Another good thing about charging more: clients see you as a consultant rather than additional technical resource. I've found that at higher rates, people tend to value your opinion a great deal more than otherwise, leading to a nice virtuous cycle.

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