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I found it extremely refreshing to read about someone who defied the corporate-centric work model and came out ahead in both time and money.
Is that not interesting to you?
I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
31–40 of 262 posts
Re: I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can I ask how you find contracts? Are there that many contract roles posted in public or is it due to your network?
100k: - network 200k: - high signaled / luke warm outbound on dev communities (YC work at a startup job board is one) - referrals 300k++: - dedicated outbound tech sale person
you hired a sales person? can you elaborate on that?
Re: I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
#33I sympathize with the sentiment of working on your own way instead of following the growth, or others mantra. But I think Nela should also understand that she is an outlier deciding to work ALONE: what happens when someone decides to have children? Do a single person has the skills to manage the complexities of a business? Be ready all the time? I don't underestimate Nela skills, just saying, again, she is an outlier…
Her arrangement gives her the freedom to make all of these decisions, which is the way it should be.
Re: I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
#34I sympathize with the sentiment of working on your own way instead of following the growth, or others mantra. But I think Nela should also understand that she is an outlier deciding to work ALONE: what happens when someone decides to have children? Do a single person has the skills to manage the complexities of a business? Be ready all the time? I don't underestimate Nela skills, just saying, again, she is an outlier…
Why wouldn't they? While sometimes it takes more time than a normal job would, it also offers a larger amount of freedom than a 9-5. And if you have a great reputation and a constant stream of clients, it is even better since you can pick projects and decide when to do them and in what manner.
On another note, Nela is quite an outlier! I've been following her work for close to 20 years now I think, starting from her HTML&CSS tutorials long time ago. Her blog was basically CSS Zen Garden for my generation, teaching us how to achieve beautiful things with HTML&CSS back in the age of Dreamweaver, inspiring many future developers and designers. She gave so much to the community through the years with her knowledge sharing that it still inspires me and motivates me to this day to share more. Nela, if you're reading this, thanks for all the great work!
Re: I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
#35Warning: bit of a rant ahead.
I’m currently on the path to a principal-level role at my company. I really don’t know what I think about it. The jump from lead to principal is a big one in terms of workload and stress, and I’ve been told the pay difference isn’t huge.
Older I get, the less I care to ascend the ladder. Even at this point I’m doing it out of a sense of amassing status in case I need it, rather than being motivated by it. And I feel that lack of intrinsic motivation.
I’m mid-career, and mostly just tired of selling so much time and energy to someone else’s enterprise, especially because I watch myself trade away time that should be spent taking care of myself for a stupid title upgrade.
I think I am a late bloomer bootstrapper.
Re: I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
#36I sympathize with the sentiment of working on your own way instead of following the growth, or others mantra. But I think Nela should also understand that she is an outlier deciding to work ALONE: what happens when someone decides to have children? Do a single person has the skills to manage the complexities of a business? Be ready all the time? I don't underestimate Nela skills, just saying, again, she is an outlier…
Why wouldn't they? While sometimes it takes more time than a normal job would, it also offers a larger amount of freedom than a 9-5. And if you have a great reputation and a constant stream of clients, it is even better since you can pick projects and decide when to do them and in what manner. On another note, Nela is quite an outlier! I've been following her work for close to 20 years now I think, starting from her…
My criticism is about not taking this as general advice.
> And if you have a great reputation and a constant stream of clients
If you have a great reputation and a constant stream of clients that is sustainable for decades you are an outlier.
Re: I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
#37Agencies charge like a very good contractor but use midrange to lousy contractors/employees to do most of the work, and bring the good ones in only in need. It’s selling the difference between the two.
One guy I worked with spent a lot of effort evaluating Ukrainian and south American talent who had fluent or at least business level English. It took him awhile but the devs he fed work to were solid engineers, almost FAANG tier but he paid them s*t or good for their locations. I've kept their names handy because poaching them would be dirt easy. Knowing this as well as what you said, I avoid agencies now and simply…
I'm a solo freelancer and I happened to get contracts that needed more than one person to work on. Sometimes the customer paid everybody separately, sometimes they paid me and I paid the others.
Re: I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
#38Warning: bit of a rant ahead. I’m currently on the path to a principal-level role at my company. I really don’t know what I think about it. The jump from lead to principal is a big one in terms of workload and stress, and I’ve been told the pay difference isn’t huge. Older I get, the less I care to ascend the ladder. Even at this point I’m doing it out of a sense of amassing status in case I need it, rather than bein…
In general, interest in career advancement is collapsing.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/your-coworkers-are-less-ambitio...
Re: I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
#39Warning: bit of a rant ahead. I’m currently on the path to a principal-level role at my company. I really don’t know what I think about it. The jump from lead to principal is a big one in terms of workload and stress, and I’ve been told the pay difference isn’t huge. Older I get, the less I care to ascend the ladder. Even at this point I’m doing it out of a sense of amassing status in case I need it, rather than bein…
Good luck with the new role! I’m surprised you’ve shared this rant non-anonymously, I hope it doesn’t have negative effect on your progress.
Re: I don’t want to grow my freelance design studio into an agency
#40Warning: bit of a rant ahead. I’m currently on the path to a principal-level role at my company. I really don’t know what I think about it. The jump from lead to principal is a big one in terms of workload and stress, and I’ve been told the pay difference isn’t huge. Older I get, the less I care to ascend the ladder. Even at this point I’m doing it out of a sense of amassing status in case I need it, rather than bein…
In general, interest in career advancement is collapsing. https://www.wsj.com/articles/your-coworkers-are-less-ambitio...
I have no interest at all in being some high ranking manager or director in any company. I want to clock in, do my work, and clock out so I can go do what I actually want to do.
Don't get me wrong, I love my job and find my work interesting. I'm incredibly lucky to be where I'm at. But I'm also completely fine just doing my thing and being done for the day.