4 ms·

Did you go freelance? :)

moron4hire 14y ago
Yep, and it pays well enough that I even get to take large amounts of time off. I basically keep a teacher's yearly schedule, having fun all summer, working through the spring, fall, and winter, making as much as when I had a boss breathing down my neck. I lost 20lbs and found the woman I'm going to marry. And I've been completely debt free for the last 3 months. It's been amazing.
- namenotrequired 14y ago
  Sounds good - do your clients breathe down your neck less than managers?
  - mikeash 14y ago
    Not the guy you're replying to, but my experience is that the ability to either say "no" or "yes, but that will cost more" makes crazy random demands really tolerable.
  - moron4hire 14y ago
    They try sometimes, and then I tell them that I'm not going to do what they want but what they need. The lack of debt thing makes it really easy to be up front with clients, which somewhat ironically makes it less likely any issues will grow to the point that one or both halves of the relationship end up disgruntled.
- TkTech 14y ago
  Mind if I ask doing what? Consulting?
  - moron4hire 14y ago
    Mostly database systems. Building a custom ERP system for a client right now, .NET/SQLServer now (because that is what I know best), SomethingFree later when their crushing work debt is over (and the system I'm making will help them get rid of their work debt, the system they are running right now is awful). But I've also done some minor hardware prototyping and graphic design work for a few people. It's basically whatever people want me to do, having gained a reputation for being a guy who can figure things out. Hell, I've even made enough money for random toys off of my own line of t-shirts aimed at military veterans. It's been nuts, all of the different things I've gotten into in just the last year. Without the soul crushing traditional employment arrangement, I'm able to really get a lot of new projects going. Even considering opening a coworking space in which I charge desk-rent!

Yep, and it pays well enough that I even get to take large amounts of time off. I basically keep a teacher's yearly schedule, having fun all summer, working through the spring, fall, and winter, making as much as when I had a boss breathing down my neck. I lost 20lbs and found the woman I'm going to marry. And I've been completely debt free for the last 3 months. It's been amazing.

namenotrequired 14y ago
Sounds good - do your clients breathe down your neck less than managers?
- mikeash 14y ago
  Not the guy you're replying to, but my experience is that the ability to either say "no" or "yes, but that will cost more" makes crazy random demands really tolerable.
- moron4hire 14y ago
  They try sometimes, and then I tell them that I'm not going to do what they want but what they need. The lack of debt thing makes it really easy to be up front with clients, which somewhat ironically makes it less likely any issues will grow to the point that one or both halves of the relationship end up disgruntled.
TkTech 14y ago
Mind if I ask doing what? Consulting?
- moron4hire 14y ago
  Mostly database systems. Building a custom ERP system for a client right now, .NET/SQLServer now (because that is what I know best), SomethingFree later when their crushing work debt is over (and the system I'm making will help them get rid of their work debt, the system they are running right now is awful). But I've also done some minor hardware prototyping and graphic design work for a few people. It's basically whatever people want me to do, having gained a reputation for being a guy who can figure things out. Hell, I've even made enough money for random toys off of my own line of t-shirts aimed at military veterans. It's been nuts, all of the different things I've gotten into in just the last year. Without the soul crushing traditional employment arrangement, I'm able to really get a lot of new projects going. Even considering opening a coworking space in which I charge desk-rent!