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Ask HN: How to find part-time developer work?

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Re: Ask HN: How to find part-time developer work?

#61

Post by gedrap »

tdicola wrote: post #47
gkoberger wrote: post #26

I've found it's almost impossible to find good work using cold calls or responding to ads. Try to find people you know. Getting the first job is the hardest, but if you do a good job -- the referrals will start to roll in. This has been inadvertent, however I've also gotten a lot of work through various projects[1][2] I've done that have gotten big on HN. Write it off mentally as a marketing expense, and spend a few…

Any tips for actually getting a Show HN post on HN? I've posted a few things but been frustrated to see them immediately fall out of the new page with only a couple votes.

In order to make homepage, the post should have a catchy title, and be relevant to audience. I checked your Show HN posts. The Seattle film festival one is probably not very relevant, if it doesn't get ~10 upvotes in the first ~1.5hr, it will be gone. Wifi-dynamo-thermometer looks better, just a better title would do :)

Re: Ask HN: How to find part-time developer work?

#64

Post by bigtunacan »

jlees wrote: post #58
bigtunacan wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

drew here has it right. While it is possible to find money on side projects in more mainstream technologies like Java or .NET; it is easier in specialized fields. Depending on where you are targeting geographically those technologies vary a lot; I personally have seen a lot of demand for iOS/Android, but even more demand for Ruby on Rails. I think that quite a few Ruby on Rails developers left the community and flock…

I second the network point, but not quite in the same way. I often find meetups and conferences can be hit-and-miss (though a developer conference may be more useful!), but I agree that connecting with people is good. In the thread on consulting a few days ago a great point came up: if you can translate your skills into value to a business, you might end up having conversations with people they didn't know they wante…

jlees,

Definitely they are hit and miss; but I have found that to be true in all forms of networking. This should certainly not be your only avenue for networking.

I take multiple approaches to networking. Meetups, events, conferences, calling/emailing people I already know, cold emailing companies directly if I know they use a technology I specialize in. I also wear T-shirts almost constantly that are simple and state the nature of my business and a phone number to reach me at.

Re: Ask HN: How to find part-time developer work?

#65

Post by YZF »

dmourati wrote: post #56
nsxwolf wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

odesk? I thought that was realistically only for low-cost overseas outsourcing.

I'm moderately successful on oDesk doing continuous delivery/AWS/systems/networking work at $100/hr. There are many lowballers out there in the space, primarily from abroad. The trick is to offer value . So far in 2014 I've worked with two US businesses who preferred native english speakers/US contractors. I've billed around 15 hours and have about a 20% hit rate with online interviews over email and actually worked…

s/heard of the Silicon Vally/heart of Silicon Valley/ in your profile. Sounds like you're doing something right there, good luck.

Re: Ask HN: How to find part-time developer work?

#66

Post by gedrap »

I am making my living doing part-time coding (still doing my degree) for the last 2 years, was unemployed for only about 3 months. I am doing PHP and AngularJS.

It's really all about the people you know. I got the best gigs just by asking people (normally other developers) I know if they know someone who needs a developer. So, yes, it's all about networking but not the numbers but quality of connection. No one, who talked to you for 10mins, will vouch for you, really.

I've tried elance a bit, and getting the first gig there looks like a game of numbers. If you apply for many jobs, sooner or later you will get one... But checking new postings, writing decent cover letter is time and mental energy consuming. I gave up there. I don't know, maybe it's worth the hassle getting the first one.

If you try to make a living doing part time, the key is 1) high enough pay rate 2) be strict about the payments.

I used to have a rather low rate and was very trusting (e.g. if the payment is late by 3-4 weeks I still trusted because I 'felt' that he is trustworthy). I ended up in the situation when I didn't have what to eat for a few weeks, while I was getting 'I really made the payment' BS, and 0 motivation and energy to do anything. But now I am happy that it happened, I moved on, and got much much better gigs and 1.5-2 times higher pay rate and payments always on time :)

AMA!

Re: Ask HN: How to find part-time developer work?

#67

Post by dmourati »

YZF wrote: post #65
dmourati wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm moderately successful on oDesk doing continuous delivery/AWS/systems/networking work at $100/hr. There are many lowballers out there in the space, primarily from abroad. The trick is to offer value . So far in 2014 I've worked with two US businesses who preferred native english speakers/US contractors. I've billed around 15 hours and have about a 20% hit rate with online interviews over email and actually worked…

s/heard of the Silicon Vally/heart of Silicon Valley/ in your profile. Sounds like you're doing something right there, good luck.

Yup. Fixed, thanks! Also, should add, the main reason I like doing contracting gigs like this is to stay sharp. At least twice this year something I've learned on a side gig has directly helped my dayjob company. Nice effect that.

Re: Ask HN: How to find part-time developer work?

#68

Post by ghh »

piyush_soni wrote: post #57
bigtunacan wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

drew here has it right. While it is possible to find money on side projects in more mainstream technologies like Java or .NET; it is easier in specialized fields. Depending on where you are targeting geographically those technologies vary a lot; I personally have seen a lot of demand for iOS/Android, but even more demand for Ruby on Rails. I think that quite a few Ruby on Rails developers left the community and flock…

I was just wondering, could one have a contract like this (I haven't done freelancer work yet, but might look in future): "Up to 3 months of development time, I will take a fixed rate. If the development goes beyond that, I will charge hourly."?

If the other party agrees to it, any contract is possible. However, in this case you get more money if somehow the project is delayed over the three month period; so you have an incentive to work slowly or to have the project creep up in scope. That's not a good basis for a contract for your client may complain that you should've worked faster, even if you've put in all-nighters. Given a fixed price, it's easier on the relationship to have the fixed price be renegotiated on basis of objective measurements that you used to arrive at the fixed price in the first place. Examples are the number of pages in a site or screens in an app, the number of revisions of the visual design, or the number of function points [1] if you have data available for that. Mention in the contract that if a client wants more than X screens, Y pages, or Z revisions, the fixed price is to be recalculated.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Function_point

Re: Ask HN: How to find part-time developer work?

#69

Post by jlees »

bigtunacan wrote: post #64
jlees wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I second the network point, but not quite in the same way. I often find meetups and conferences can be hit-and-miss (though a developer conference may be more useful!), but I agree that connecting with people is good. In the thread on consulting a few days ago a great point came up: if you can translate your skills into value to a business, you might end up having conversations with people they didn't know they wante…

jlees, Definitely they are hit and miss; but I have found that to be true in all forms of networking. This should certainly not be your only avenue for networking. I take multiple approaches to networking. Meetups, events, conferences, calling/emailing people I already know, cold emailing companies directly if I know they use a technology I specialize in. I also wear T-shirts almost constantly that are simple and sta…

Solid points all. I guess what I didn't say but was trying to get across was: if you are uncomfortable cold-introducing yourself repeatedly at a large gathering of strangers, you don't have to do that.

Does the T-shirt approach work? I've wondered what would happen if I put my details on my laptop skin, as I work from a lot of SF/Valley coffee shops :)

Re: Ask HN: How to find part-time developer work?

#70

Post by jaredgeorge »

woah wrote: post #8

Best way is to get a full time job that you really enjoy. After months of drought, the offers for high-payed consulting work (that you can't take) will suddenly flow in.

I told my wife this past October that I'd stop taking side work by November and get our hard wood floors installed.

It's now January and my clients are continually agreeing to more and more absurd hourly rates, making it impossible to stop.

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