That NYC waitress is likely to have met quite a few European tourists who either tipped much too little, or were visibly grumpy at the expectation that they sho

That NYC waitress is likely to have met quite a few European tourists who either tipped much too little, or were visibly grumpy at the expectation that they should tip. Also, plenty of software developers work as consultants on some kind of commission model where part or all of their salary is some percentage of what they're able charge their customer. Perhaps the customer doesn't pay the invoice, perhaps they don't want to hire you at all. But if you do a good job and manage keep the customer happy, you're likely to make a better wage than in a similar position with a fixed salary.