Of the two... #2 is best but I would avoid trying to balance your own product time and freelance. I did that for years and it got me absolutely no where other t

Of the two... #2 is best but I would avoid trying to balance your own product time and freelance. I did that for years and it got me absolutely no where other than experience. If I were you, I'd join a YC startup as the UX guy... Lots of people are looking for them and your portfolio is impressive enough. Depending on the stage of the company (letsay recent YC grad). You should be able to score 3-6% plus living wage ($30K to $45K) as well as gain a ton of connections in the valley. That is, if you can pull off the visa stuff. --- Failing the visa shenanigans, I would try to form up a company with low tech focus/need. Letsay a mobile ad network, niche ad network, e-commerce, monthly packages (a la manpacks etc.)... I wouldn't go the Kevin Rose way as its hard for you to raise money not living in the US (and Milk doesn't make apps that make direct money) as well as web design not being sustainable as a business.