3 ms·

Guess what: programming can be done remotely, and clients tend to pay the rates where they are, not where you are. So you can land a job making $150k / yr from

Guess what: programming can be done remotely, and clients tend to pay the rates where they are, not where you are. So you can land a job making $150k / yr from a company in NYC or SF, but live in Thailand where you annual expenses are $10k.

hello_moto 16y ago
Would you mind to elaborate how to communicate with clients not local to you? Thanks.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- ryanwaggoner 16y ago
  Am I missing something here? The same answer for how you communicate with anyone not local: phone, email, and IM. I've landed numerous projects and long-term contract gigs without ever meeting the client.
  - hello_moto 16y ago
    Sorry, I thought you had to fly and meet the client once in a while. I scoured Craigslist locally and most of them are looking for "Web developer, contract, MUST BE LOCAL". Was wondering how was it out there.
mgkimsal 16y ago
Perhaps that's a skill you have you could teach others (and perhaps make more doing that than something else!). My own experiences (and those of most I know) come down to most of those sorts of positions A) aren't advertised around much - you have to have a strong network B) Typically require you to be onsite for at least part of the time or at least periodic visits. I've not yet found gigs that pay $150/hour for long extended periods (9-12 months) which didn't require any face to face or onsite time (where you could live in Thailand but charge US rates). Not saying they don't exist at all, but I think they're rarer than your experiences might indicate. Also, I don't think all clients tend to pay the rates where they are. There's a whole outsourcing trend, which many freelancers are exploring - taking on 'virtual assistants' based in other countries. They do this precisely because you can get reasonable professional-level assistance for $3-$5/hour - which is a good rate for where the worker lives, not where the freelancer is. If I wouldn't pay someone in Thailand $30/hour to do secretarial work for me, why should someonei n NYC pay me $150/hour if I'm living in Thailand? Because I'm a US-born white guy?
- ryanwaggoner 16y ago
  Again, finding 6-12 month contracts at 40 hrs a week isn't hard. So you don't need to make $150 / hr to make $150k / yr. $75 / hr will get you there if you can bill 2000 hrs, and doing a longer-term contract gig like that will get you there. As for the rate, these companies aren't "outsourcing" or "offshoring" in the sense that you're thinking of. They just want to hire someone to get their work done, and they're desperate enough that they don't care where you are. Again, your experience might differ, but this is what I've found.

hello_moto 16y ago

Would you mind to elaborate how to communicate with clients not local to you? Thanks.

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
ryanwaggoner 16y ago
Am I missing something here? The same answer for how you communicate with anyone not local: phone, email, and IM. I've landed numerous projects and long-term contract gigs without ever meeting the client.
- hello_moto 16y ago
  Sorry, I thought you had to fly and meet the client once in a while. I scoured Craigslist locally and most of them are looking for "Web developer, contract, MUST BE LOCAL". Was wondering how was it out there.

mgkimsal 16y ago

Perhaps that's a skill you have you could teach others (and perhaps make more doing that than something else!). My own experiences (and those of most I know) come down to most of those sorts of positions A) aren't advertised around much - you have to have a strong network B) Typically require you to be onsite for at least part of the time or at least periodic visits. I've not yet found gigs that pay $150/hour for long extended periods (9-12 months) which didn't require any face to face or onsite time (where you could live in Thailand but charge US rates). Not saying they don't exist at all, but I think they're rarer than your experiences might indicate. Also, I don't think all clients tend to pay the rates where they are. There's a whole outsourcing trend, which many freelancers are exploring - taking on 'virtual assistants' based in other countries. They do this precisely because you can get reasonable professional-level assistance for $3-$5/hour - which is a good rate for where the worker lives, not where the freelancer is. If I wouldn't pay someone in Thailand $30/hour to do secretarial work for me, why should someonei n NYC pay me $150/hour if I'm living in Thailand? Because I'm a US-born white guy?

ryanwaggoner 16y ago
Again, finding 6-12 month contracts at 40 hrs a week isn't hard. So you don't need to make $150 / hr to make $150k / yr. $75 / hr will get you there if you can bill 2000 hrs, and doing a longer-term contract gig like that will get you there. As for the rate, these companies aren't "outsourcing" or "offshoring" in the sense that you're thinking of. They just want to hire someone to get their work done, and they're desperate enough that they don't care where you are. Again, your experience might differ, but this is what I've found.