I am 17, and I have found that a lot of people don't really care if you can prove you know what you are doing. Whenever i'm talking to big people, I act as if I am 24. They usually ask your age at some point, I usually just say "It doesn't matter". If they pressure, then I give in and tell them, usually leading them to be more impressed than anything else. Just prove you are the right man for the job.
Ask HN: How can a 16 year-old programmer make money writing code?
21–27 of 27 posts
Re: Ask HN: How can a 16 year-old programmer make money writing code?
#22My advice is to be patient and continue your education. You need to realize if you learn enough about the world around you, people will beat a path to your door. The first phase in programming is learning how to code. The second phase is learning why . Once you get to the second phase, people will ask you to help them. Many years ago, I bought an early personal computer. I quickly realized what it lacked, and I wrote…
Thanks for the inspirational comment and for the amazing article/story!
Re: Ask HN: How can a 16 year-old programmer make money writing code?
#23If you're comfortable with PHP I'll give you some contracting work today.
Re: Ask HN: How can a 16 year-old programmer make money writing code?
#24You can sell plugins and themes in markets.
Re: Ask HN: How can a 16 year-old programmer make money writing code?
#25Why do you think it's necessary to reveal your age to those who hire you? Have a good portfolio and you're set. The web provides you varying levels of anonymity; take advantage of it. I made thousands of dollars before your age monetizing my Facebook apps with ads. Perhaps you should investigate doing stuff that doesn't rely on others who frankly care more about your age than your competence.
Some contracts aren't enforceable against minors. Do minors not need to disclose their age when entering into a contract? It seems like this should be a requirement.
I'd recommend that OP have a solid portfolio and get a potential client interested, and then only reveal their age when entering into a contract or doing something where it matters.
Re: Ask HN: How can a 16 year-old programmer make money writing code?
#26There's already been great advice about continuing your education and putting together a portfolio, so I'm going to address your question from a different angle.
Problem solving is a big part of programming, and it's a skill that can be used outside of writing code. Do you actually need money to get those things you want? Or can you think of a creative solution that costs less or nothing? Note, I'm not advising you do something illegal that could get you in serious trouble. I'm just reminding you that hacking doesn't always involve a computer.
Perhaps you'll realize that money isn't your main goal, and you really just want to work on more projects. In that case, there are plenty of open source projects you could try.
Re: Ask HN: How can a 16 year-old programmer make money writing code?
#27If you're comfortable with PHP I'll give you some contracting work today.
I'm interested.