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Ask HN: would doing freelance work on the side be a conflict of interest?
I've been wanting to get into freelancing for a few years, but I don't have the savings I would need to jump into it full-time. Because of that, I'm thinking about trying to take on a single project at a time that I could do on the side.
My concern is that I'm currently working at a development contracting company that creates products for third party companies. Basically, the same type of thing that I'd be trying to do on the side.
I'm afraid that this would be seen as a conflict of interest, and I'm looking for outside input to see if I'm right in thinking that, or if there's a way that I could still approach freelancing while still maintaining my current position. The only thing in my favor that might make this not be seen as a conflict is that the company I work for won't do projects below a certain dollar value, which I would definitely do freelancing on my own.
Still a conflict of interest? Any way to get started while keeping my job? Thanks!
- tjr 13y agoYour company might have an official (or unofficial) policy about such things. The safest thing to do would be to ask. Some companies demand that all of your software development work, even if done at your home on your own time, be strictly for them. Other companies don't care what you do outside of your job, just so long as it doesn't compete with what they are doing. Note that as a freelancer, some clients might make similar non-compete demands, so even if your employer is okay with your freelancing, your freelance client might not be okay with your employer!
- mortai 13y agoThanks for the reply. The company I work for is great in the sense that I am allowed to develop and monetize my own personal products outside of work. I even emailed the CEO previously to verify (it's a small company, so it makes sense to ask directly), who said to go for it and that they even encourage it. This is different though in the sense that these wouldn't be my ideas/projects, but rather somebody else's. I'll have to follow up with the CEO again I suppose.