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Ask HN: Freelance developers, how much control do you have over your schedule?

9 points by the_only_law 6y ago

Do you have to be available for an 8-5 work day like a FTE might or are you generally free to complete the work at any hour / time you wish as long as it’s delivered on time?

ev1 6y ago
This is probably wildly variable based on what kind of clients you have. I have ones that will bother you endlessly from 8-5 (charge a lot accordingly...) and ones who don't care how or when you do it as long as it gets done before launch/release date. I like the latter the most, though one person likes to spring "hey I need a new feature tomorrow" at 3 am while they're playing wow This also implies you are truly freelance. Not agency or studio type.
iExploder 6y ago
being a freelancer implies there is no fixed work schedule as FTEs might have.. otherwise labor should look into that as for myself I'm free to work on my own, there are meetings I attend project's pretty good, fingers crossed it lasts forever
admissionsguy 6y ago
It's up to you what kind of clients you take and what boundaries you set. Personally, I won't even entertain any arbitrary constraints on my schedule (or even arbitrary meetings; I go the extra mile for clients who don't need any synchronous communication at all), but I know plenty of "freelancers" who are indistinguishable from FT employees in every practical sense. It helps to quote for deliverables instead of time spent. Then the client has no incentive to concern themselves with your schedule (plus if you know what you are doing, it's the easiest way to achieve really high hourly rates). But people who do 8-5 "freelancing" as individual contributors in a dev team, I don't know what is the point of that (besides tax evasion)? I particularly like working with small(-ish) business owners who don't have any corporate background whatsoever. They never use phrases such as "catch up" and tend to be genuinely human.
eyx 6y ago
In my case I have to be available for an 8-5 work day like a FTE.

9 points by the_only_law 6y ago

Do you have to be available for an 8-5 work day like a FTE might or are you generally free to complete the work at any hour / time you wish as long as it’s delivered on time?

ev1 6y ago

This is probably wildly variable based on what kind of clients you have. I have ones that will bother you endlessly from 8-5 (charge a lot accordingly...) and ones who don't care how or when you do it as long as it gets done before launch/release date. I like the latter the most, though one person likes to spring "hey I need a new feature tomorrow" at 3 am while they're playing wow This also implies you are truly freelance. Not agency or studio type.

iExploder 6y ago

being a freelancer implies there is no fixed work schedule as FTEs might have.. otherwise labor should look into that as for myself I'm free to work on my own, there are meetings I attend project's pretty good, fingers crossed it lasts forever

admissionsguy 6y ago

It's up to you what kind of clients you take and what boundaries you set. Personally, I won't even entertain any arbitrary constraints on my schedule (or even arbitrary meetings; I go the extra mile for clients who don't need any synchronous communication at all), but I know plenty of "freelancers" who are indistinguishable from FT employees in every practical sense. It helps to quote for deliverables instead of time spent. Then the client has no incentive to concern themselves with your schedule (plus if you know what you are doing, it's the easiest way to achieve really high hourly rates). But people who do 8-5 "freelancing" as individual contributors in a dev team, I don't know what is the point of that (besides tax evasion)? I particularly like working with small(-ish) business owners who don't have any corporate background whatsoever. They never use phrases such as "catch up" and tend to be genuinely human.

eyx 6y ago

In my case I have to be available for an 8-5 work day like a FTE.