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I think there's a distinction to be made between a web site and web application developer. One builds posters on the internet and the other builds software that

I think there's a distinction to be made between a web site and web application developer. One builds posters on the internet and the other builds software that just happens to use HTTP. I've found the latter to be considerably more lucrative and engaging. The work I've done ranges from language teaching software to automated trading bots for second hand books. The market for this sort of work is so screamingly hot right now that if I did all the work that my current clients are asking for in series, I'd be booked into early 2015. And that at a daily rate that the me of three years ago would have trouble even asking for at the negotiation table.

bpatrianakos 13y ago
That could also have to do with location. I'm in Chicago so I have to admit you're right and that market is hot. I think the trouble there is breaking into it. Toward the end of my run as a full time freelancer I tried to get into web applications. The trouble was that I still got a lot of people with an idea for the next Facebook but could barely use MS Word and thought a web developer was the same job as the guy who fixes your PC when it crashes. I was able to build a few web apps but budgets and preparation were so awful that gaining credibility was tough. I could build a great web app but not for $2k and a Month's time. So many people think they can hire you to build an eBay competitor and that the site will magically just create money by simply existing. You're right that there's a huge market now but I would qualify that statement and add that the future is in specialized web applications for people with domain knowledge and an actual business plan. I might have been doing something wrong not to find those people or maybe I was unlucky.
- alinajaf 13y ago
  I've found that I make a lot of good contacts at my local Ruby user group and through just helping people as much as I can via twitter, mailing lists etc. One problem I have that's similar to what you're talking about is people either have a huge budget and an endless supply of soul-crushing and pointless work for me to do, or they just can't afford me at my rates. More recently I'm finding a sort of sweet spot in bootstrapped companies that have some revenue and can afford to bring me in for one or two weeks per month. Those are my ideal clients, as I'm not very good at dealing with government/BigCo. I love talking about this stuff, so if you want to talk shop more at some point feel free to ping me via email (in profile).

bpatrianakos 13y ago

That could also have to do with location. I'm in Chicago so I have to admit you're right and that market is hot. I think the trouble there is breaking into it. Toward the end of my run as a full time freelancer I tried to get into web applications. The trouble was that I still got a lot of people with an idea for the next Facebook but could barely use MS Word and thought a web developer was the same job as the guy who fixes your PC when it crashes. I was able to build a few web apps but budgets and preparation were so awful that gaining credibility was tough. I could build a great web app but not for $2k and a Month's time. So many people think they can hire you to build an eBay competitor and that the site will magically just create money by simply existing. You're right that there's a huge market now but I would qualify that statement and add that the future is in specialized web applications for people with domain knowledge and an actual business plan. I might have been doing something wrong not to find those people or maybe I was unlucky.

alinajaf 13y ago
I've found that I make a lot of good contacts at my local Ruby user group and through just helping people as much as I can via twitter, mailing lists etc. One problem I have that's similar to what you're talking about is people either have a huge budget and an endless supply of soul-crushing and pointless work for me to do, or they just can't afford me at my rates. More recently I'm finding a sort of sweet spot in bootstrapped companies that have some revenue and can afford to bring me in for one or two weeks per month. Those are my ideal clients, as I'm not very good at dealing with government/BigCo. I love talking about this stuff, so if you want to talk shop more at some point feel free to ping me via email (in profile).