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Ask HN: where's a good place to look for smart contract work?

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Re: Ask HN: where's a good place to look for smart contract work?

#31

Post by hhm »

jon_dahl wrote: post #30
hhm wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you advertise yourself for contract work? Do you have a one person company, or you are just a contractor? While both things may in the end mean more or less the same, their perception might be different and you could be able to get paid more in the first than in the second case. Or am I wrong?

I went from 2 people (myself and a partner) to 8, so I didn't do the individual thing myself. In my experience, a single person ("John Smith" or "John Smith Consulting LLC") isn't at a big disadvantage against a small company (John Smith as sole member of "Razor Consulting LLC" or whatever). We would often compete with, and work alongside, individuals. It's all about getting your brand out there. You want people to h…

I'm currently using my name plus a descriptive word (say "Smith Software" or "Graham Tech"), and if I think about it, what I'm doing most is contract work myself (along with some consulting). Do you find it advisable?

Re: Ask HN: where's a good place to look for smart contract work?

#32

Post by jon_dahl »

hhm wrote: post #31
jon_dahl wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I went from 2 people (myself and a partner) to 8, so I didn't do the individual thing myself. In my experience, a single person ("John Smith" or "John Smith Consulting LLC") isn't at a big disadvantage against a small company (John Smith as sole member of "Razor Consulting LLC" or whatever). We would often compete with, and work alongside, individuals. It's all about getting your brand out there. You want people to h…

I'm currently using my name plus a descriptive word (say "Smith Software" or "Graham Tech"), and if I think about it, what I'm doing most is contract work myself (along with some consulting). Do you find it advisable?

Tell me if this answers your question: if I were you, I would form an LLC ("Smith Software"), but push your personal name ("John Smith") as you network, look for jobs, introduce yourself, etc. So Smith Software goes on your contracts, and (maybe?) is your domain name, but you want people to get to know _you_, not Smith Software. Especially if you're good. "John Smith the ruby/python/design expert" is a perfectly legitimate way to be known. It's easier than "Smith Software, the small expert ruby/python/design house", IMO.

I know 10-20 independent programmers and designers in my area, and in every single case, I think of them by their personal names. I'm sure they all have some LLC name, but in most cases, I don't know what it is. Even if they put it on their business card, I'm more likely to refer them to someone as an individual ("I know this good designer - Mick Jones - you should talk to him") rather than by a company name ("I know this good design shop - Compelling Solutions - you should check them out.")

I think this changes when you grow beyond 2 full-time folks. At 2, people can remember both of your names. But beyond there, they're likely to remember the company name, plus one of the principles. ("You should check out Compelling Solutions - talk to Mick Jones.")

At least that's my experience. :)

Re: Ask HN: where's a good place to look for smart contract work?

#33

Post by hhm »

jon_dahl wrote: post #32
hhm wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm currently using my name plus a descriptive word (say "Smith Software" or "Graham Tech"), and if I think about it, what I'm doing most is contract work myself (along with some consulting). Do you find it advisable?

Tell me if this answers your question: if I were you, I would form an LLC ("Smith Software"), but push your personal name ("John Smith") as you network, look for jobs, introduce yourself, etc. So Smith Software goes on your contracts, and (maybe?) is your domain name, but you want people to get to know _you_, not Smith Software. Especially if you're good. "John Smith the ruby/python/design expert" is a perfectly legi…

This is great advice, thank you. An only extra question... being a single person means that I can't do more than one or two development projects at once, but at many times clients ask me to (and I have to tell them I can't, I'm already busy, etc). Do you think it's a problem? How do single contractors handle this?

I guess it's a lot easier if you push yourself as an independent programmer, as it's reasonable that a single guy is already busy at the time you call him... but as soon as you introduce a company name I think the expectations change. So that's an extra reason to follow your advice.

Re: Ask HN: where's a good place to look for smart contract work?

#34

Post by andrewbadera »

ovi256 wrote: post #14
xlnt wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you know what you're worth? I've read "post your salary" threads and other things that show up on yc or programming.reddit, but I still can't really tell.

And notice a flaw in all "what I am billing threads": they are positing a 40-hour week average, whole year round. Maybe in a hyperactive market it is possible to do that, but I think it would be fair to posit at most 2/3 uptime (out of about 250 work days per year). Why so low? You will spend considerable periods in downtime, looking for gigs.

Really? Sign me up, sounds like a vacation.

Re: Ask HN: where's a good place to look for smart contract work?

#35

Post by andrewbadera »

thomasswift wrote: post #18
xlnt wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you know what you're worth? I've read "post your salary" threads and other things that show up on yc or programming.reddit, but I still can't really tell.

My short and fast rule Is charge about 4-6x your hourly salary of doing equivalent work. You pay more taxes, you are not receiving benefits, and most of all you are doing difficult work. Of course there are exceptions to this rule. If you make $20/hr slinging code. Consulting that be $80/hr. May seem high, but really it is quite low. The big boys charge $250/hr. I think that rate is fair for small businesses. If you…

The "big boys" in code don't charge $250/hour -- that's SAP or similar platform specialist territory.

Code generalists run $80-$150/hour for truly excellent engineers.

I do work in the Albany and NYC markets, and $120/hour is typical. $700-$1200/day is a reasonable range to consider in the NYC market. Downgrade that for most other markets.

Re: Ask HN: where's a good place to look for smart contract work?

#36

Post by elad »

andrewbadera wrote: post #34
ovi256 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And notice a flaw in all "what I am billing threads": they are positing a 40-hour week average, whole year round. Maybe in a hyperactive market it is possible to do that, but I think it would be fair to posit at most 2/3 uptime (out of about 250 work days per year). Why so low? You will spend considerable periods in downtime, looking for gigs.

Really? Sign me up, sounds like a vacation.

It's not. You're looking for gigs, which means networking, interviewing etc. Marketing yourself essentially. Vacation is when you don't work.
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