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I don't really feel the difference between planning/coding. It's all the same to me in terms of problem solving. Also, I already do this as a consultant, and c

I don't really feel the difference between planning/coding. It's all the same to me in terms of problem solving. Also, I already do this as a consultant, and clients are usually mostly focused on speed and quality. So I give them 4 hours a day, I take a couple hours off then I plug away at my own projects for a few more hours. The context switch plus the long break makes it work for me, but everyone is different. Depending on the project, thinking about solutions during down-time does make sense - but no employer I've ever come across sees it as productive anyway. There's always the silent expectation to look like you're actively working. In any case, I'm often thinking about my work during the day regardless of whether I'm on the clock or not so this is a moot issue for me.

brailsafe 5y ago
What amount of time are you billing for, and how do you track it?
- prohobo 5y ago
  I bill for every hour I spend actively engaging with the work. Usually I max out at about 4 hours, but sometimes go to 8 hours when there are other roles involved (graphics design, devops, meetings, etc.) Tracking depends on the client and project, but usually I input my work on HourStack.
analog31 5y ago
>>> Depending on the project, thinking about solutions during down-time does make sense - but no employer I've ever come across sees it as productive anyway. Indeed, if you look at products that are sold for automating the management of skilled workers, such as JIRA and activity tracking, the unstated goal is to eliminate slack. If I can persuade a manager that I need to spend time thinking about solutions, even doing that has to be codified as an entry in a tracking app, with a plan and a deadline. Part time work might end up being the only way to regain that slack, and the cost in compensation might be worth it for a lot of workers. Especially if they can also relocate to a low cost region. Simply due to my age, and where I live, I've dealt with and know a lot of doctors. A large fraction of them have switched to part-time status, or they're professors with limited clinical schedules. I play in a band with a guy who is a retired part-time doctor. He lives in a very modest little house, and has enough wealth to live on.

brailsafe 5y ago

What amount of time are you billing for, and how do you track it?

prohobo 5y ago
I bill for every hour I spend actively engaging with the work. Usually I max out at about 4 hours, but sometimes go to 8 hours when there are other roles involved (graphics design, devops, meetings, etc.) Tracking depends on the client and project, but usually I input my work on HourStack.

analog31 5y ago

>>> Depending on the project, thinking about solutions during down-time does make sense - but no employer I've ever come across sees it as productive anyway. Indeed, if you look at products that are sold for automating the management of skilled workers, such as JIRA and activity tracking, the unstated goal is to eliminate slack. If I can persuade a manager that I need to spend time thinking about solutions, even doing that has to be codified as an entry in a tracking app, with a plan and a deadline. Part time work might end up being the only way to regain that slack, and the cost in compensation might be worth it for a lot of workers. Especially if they can also relocate to a low cost region. Simply due to my age, and where I live, I've dealt with and know a lot of doctors. A large fraction of them have switched to part-time status, or they're professors with limited clinical schedules. I play in a band with a guy who is a retired part-time doctor. He lives in a very modest little house, and has enough wealth to live on.