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This weekend marks the end of my 6 months journey of freelancing and contracting as a student.
I got a chance to grow my skill set and interact with many experienced people. Here are a few things I learnt.
(May help you if you’re looking to freelance)
I got a chance to grow my skill set and interact with many experienced people. Here are a few things I learnt.
(May help you if you’re looking to freelance)
Invest in a team. There was a time, I was doing frontend/backend/devops all by myself and it made me extremely unorganised and less productive.
Hiring some great developers helped me break down tasks, execute things faster and approach development systematically.
Hiring some great developers helped me break down tasks, execute things faster and approach development systematically.
Communicate with your clients. Keep your clients in the loop with the progress, even if they haven’t asked for updates.
Build a strong relationship and trust with them. They are your pot of gold and will bring you the next project. Make them feel that the money is well spent.
Build a strong relationship and trust with them. They are your pot of gold and will bring you the next project. Make them feel that the money is well spent.
Don’t go too hard. Burnouts are very easy when you’re working by yourself.
There were days when I didn’t sleep just to complete features I was very excited about.
Take regular breaks, put small checkpoints and celebrate as you complete those. This will keep you productive.
There were days when I didn’t sleep just to complete features I was very excited about.
Take regular breaks, put small checkpoints and celebrate as you complete those. This will keep you productive.
Keep an open mind. You’re responsible for transforming the idea from the mind of your client to a product in their hands.
Take feedback, look for inspiration and try to think from the user’s point of view.
Take feedback, look for inspiration and try to think from the user’s point of view.
Best thing about freelancing is that people approach you with new ideas and products every week.
Very very cool to talk to people and discuss crazy ideas with them.
Very very cool to talk to people and discuss crazy ideas with them.
Worst thing about freelancing is that you’re all by yourself. If you’re stuck, you need to find the way yourself. If you have the blockers, you need to fix it yourself.
Work in your foundations. Most of the concepts carry across tools and languages.
Having a strong foundation, builds confidence while “speaking tech” to a new client and makes them more comfortable in working with you.
Having a strong foundation, builds confidence while “speaking tech” to a new client and makes them more comfortable in working with you.
Create opportunities. It’s easy to find internships, work for someone and get paid.
But it’s a complete different feeling to create jobs, payout people and work for yourself. With this thought you will always try to achieve more.
But it’s a complete different feeling to create jobs, payout people and work for yourself. With this thought you will always try to achieve more.
Stay connected with your team. Have regular sync calls, take their feedback and understand the problems they are facing.
Help them out in any way possible to ease their work. They are trusting you with the most crucial times of their lives. Make sure they have fun!
Help them out in any way possible to ease their work. They are trusting you with the most crucial times of their lives. Make sure they have fun!
And the last one, love what you’re doing. In just 6 months I was able to work with 10 developers on 7 different tech stacks and languages and generate 6 figure payouts.
Freelancing is beautiful and I love it. A small goodbye as I start a new phase in life very soon.
Freelancing is beautiful and I love it. A small goodbye as I start a new phase in life very soon.
