FREELANCING SUCKS - Developers should do this instead
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- After being out of the freelance hustle now for the past year, I look back and realize that freelancing sucks for web developers.
I mean, looking at all the reasons a developer chooses to freelance, there really isn't any more benefit than a remote developer that works for a company. In fact, I'll explain why the freelancer is actually in a much worse position to be in.
Hope you enjoy! Feel free to comment
1:37 - to skip the award-winning intro
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#freelancing #freelancewebdeveloper #freelancedeveloper
Being a freelancer is not the end goal. you start freelance, then once you reach the point that youn have many good paying clients, you hire assistants. The you start your own agency. Then you can create a saas, software solutions for other companies etc. The norm is to start as a freelancer, till you make your own company and grow it. Then, you will be trully free. your employers will handle the customers. I would never go back to be a wagy ever again.
True
I have been freelance for ten years, and the smartest to do is sell service with a RENTAL COMPONENT. You can develop a website, but if the client is a company like a lab (medium size or bigger), you can offer "permanent support". This means money all the time, every month, and in most cases, you don't have to do anything, it's like car insurance. With this strategy, I win the double of an employee. Travis, sorry, your mistake was working as a freelance only for 6 months and the second mistake is WordPress, which means very cheap services. I haven't sold anything for a year and I live off the monthly payments of my customers. Do you get it?
What tech stack are you using in freelancing?
I love you!
Thankyou.
But how do you find such clients?
agreed, he did it the wrong way round - be an employee first to learn everything then become freelancer
The moral of the story is you will always be at the mercy of others as a developer. The extremely competitive job market, or the extremely competitive freelance world.
Instead hire devs to work for you
@@crazycat2969 and hope that they’re not sentient and don’t notice channels and comments like this lol
Problem with a job is that you basically have a single client and if you lose this client you lose all clients at once. For you this might not be a problem, but many lose job mobility because of this. Also you do pay for all the benefits yourself when you have a job, the employer cuts off the cost before the paycheck and overall you lose more than you get (unless you really pushing the sick days to the limit).
Contract work for companies is where the growth, freedom AND real money is at :)
I hear what you're saying but as a highly experienced Full Stack JavaScript engineer I typically earn $120/hr and bill 40+ hours a week and work 100% remote. That comes out to roughly $16k/month. And I'm able to write off a lot of that and save on taxes. For me to get a full time job earning that much I'd have to make $300k+.
With that said the instability, insurance, hiring a good accountant and no work = no pay can be a little stressful at times.
Thx for the input!
And then there is the earning potential. You are in far greater control of your earning potential as a freelancer. Working for a company, you’re essentially told what your livelihood is worth.
And I’m yet to find a company that really is flexible. I’m always expected to be around or available between 9-5. As a freelancer I can work whatever hours I please.
Having one boss is false too, because you have to deal with your boss and their clients. Whereas as a freelancer it’s just your clients - who you can choose to take on btw! In a company you can’t choose your boss and which clients they bring in.
as freelancer you are the boss for your self, and if you are good you can make much more better things and much more success. working for company is sucks because you must do what they tell you, you even can't propose better solution for some problem because your boss know better than you. that is sucks.
That’s too bad I work for a really flexible company. I’m working remotely and I probably only put in like 4 hours of work per day . The rest of the time I’m working on my resume and portfolio projects
When will this intro end lol
Great video!
LOL! Adding a timestamp in the description now to skip..
@@TravisMedia actually I was on low quality and my eyes hurt so I was more focused on hearing than seeing, nice intro and music tho!
01:40 Intro End
Thank you! This guy's intros are too long...
@@thebanana835 I love the music in the intro :)
Be a business owner.....
being pushed to your limits, always expected to keep up with whatever bs framework/database/cloud/etc tech that comes out, and having to work on massive, never-ending projects seems horrible.
4:00 Very opinionated, ignoring corporate bs and pressure from higher ups that have narcism/borderline personality disorder that goes beyond aspects like just your skills / overreach into your private life, freelance gets better later on I'm sure once you've established a reputation
No, you are not free from bs and pressure, because as Travis mentions, instead of 1 boss, as a Freelancer you have MANY bosses, including your main boss - the freelance platform itself ! Yes, you are free from corporate bs, yet you are just replacing one thing as another.
Freelancing gets better later on ? Questionable !
@@sergesmitty137 "The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary." - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
@@sergesmitty137 lol i have as many bosses as i want.
That’s a valid argument as long as you don’t have an a**hole boss.
True
You get a**hole clients too. At least **hole bosses don't turn around and say - sorry - we not paying for Milestone 3.
@@michaelnurse9089 nuke their site so it costs more to not pay you lol.
Basically, it's a bigger income with less hassle and more stability compared to self-employment. I presume, salary potential is a big factor too. If you end up working for google or amazon one day in senior roles one day, it will be a game changer. Making the same amount of money as a programmer working for amazon does while building your own money making projects working for yourself (alternative to freelancing) could be very difficult too.
You can still get micromanaged working from home
Have you notice some backlash about aging? I'm 39-year-old web developer and I'm starting to see that many companies tend to prefer hiring younger devs.
Yup, they prefer cheap and energetic labour but they don't understand the importance of paying for experience
@@StephenAinsworth1 i agree with you because all this new and big company they invest in young ppl but without any return. i see how some young ppl came to work and what thy doing fuck nothing they just sit and do fuckin nothing all job go to older ppl with experience and knowledge. Why this happen because all this young lazy ppl don't want learn anything they just use CTRL+C and CTRL+V that what they doing, they just want all on fuckin gold plate. and want better money then ppl with experience and knowledge.
Funny story: One older guy was as machine operator he get training at one day and he learn all in 8h after that he start operating machine alone without any supervision. and he was rally good, no issue with machine no any kind of problems when he was upfront this machine all was fine, after 6 months later, the company employ 2 guys one was young second i think in same age like this who was 6 months as machine operator. This two guys took this job from person who have experience as engineer and technical skill's. This two guys at the moment are 10 months with this machine and all the time they have lots of problems, machine most time is broken, and all the time they call for real engineer because they don't have any knowledge and experience.
And this is same with all this young "DEV" no experience no any kind of knowledge about any thing in IT sector.
I remember when some kid ask me for some configuration for second channel for some game. i tell him all what hi should do. and you know what this guy set the one of the port as 80008 and like all good IT with experience know that this will not happen because TCP support ports from 1 to 65535.
Now is conclusion: Where is point to employ ppl without any experience and any kind of knowledge.
I'm in my mid-40s and have not noticed this at all.
It is rampant. After 35 years with a very happy customer I came under attack by a 23 year old noob whose mantra was “the dinosaurs must go.” He used a series of techniques to kill us: real time database on a resource restricted VM, beta testing banned, customer contact banned, unauthorised deployment of software while still under development. The list was long. He self described as a “software enthusiast” who had no training and no experience. It was the worst year of my life.
I thought about being a freelancer, but after seeing a job posting [50$, a webpage with cms, refreshless] I just quit it.
I will rather spend 10 years codding for nothing until my first job, than work a couple hours for 50$, I can make burgers for that and have more fun.
Sure some will do it in the hope to get to better jobs, but again, I wouldn't sit behind the computer watching youtube videos I do not like for 6h to earn that 50$.
I hear you on that. I partially freelance and trying to get something different, the pay is quite low 99% and 1% pays you decently. My niche (graphic design/desktop publishing) has some of the most obnoxious, entitled and straight up evil clients. I'd like to do something else that doesn't have people trying to dox you or being a Karen "because they can".
you can work for yourself, learning how to deploy dozens of websites quickly , write your own automation apps and eventually build an empire of websites, and get commission selling something on the internet. That's another approach to it.
It's kinda funny seeing people just... not wanting to put some hours (That can last 1 or 2 days) of their time for 50$, since I live in a 3rd world country
Heck, if I did one webpage per week for that amount of money, I would get the same amount as my current job. That's why I want to freelance for other countries
@@friskdreemurrboy1404 I live in Europe, lower class country and still I can make 100Euro a night by just cutting veggies and smiling to guests for couple hours at some events, and there is no job left for home or any preparation in advance from my side.
I earn more than most average programmers by working as chef...So not all people are in hurry to become one, for me it is just something I want to know to do.
It is sad but currently people with degrees wash dishes and mop floors, my buddy with two doctorates in history and philoshopy is a f... beach boy waiter and do not care to go for anything else until he beats 150euros of tips a day plus wage... all for 40-48hours a week. People just are not in such hurry to work some higher class jobs.
the think is, it's way easier to get your foot in the door as a freelancer. Nowadays you can't even get a job, a cs degree is now a requirement in the corporate world due to saturation and you'll have to pay tuition and go through a math degree that doesn't have to do with coding to the most part
Working for a corporation in this day and age, being their slave and trying to appease their 1000s of unrealistic demands and circus performance interviews sucks. And you are easily replaced and enjoy 60hr work weeks. If you are a freelancer you actually get paid for your overtime and set your own hours.
Also you can make your own web apps and themes and sell them on a theme marketplace. Maybe make your own saas too or even your own marketplace like Mercari,Etsy and eBay. I think people don't think outside the box.
i hate interviewing and i hate corporate culture so much.
You're wrong that it's the same thing. Most companies make you work 40 hrs, and freelancing I can work as much or little as I want.
Oh I thought this was Traversy Media
I see I wasn’t the only one
Freelancing pays way more because they are consultants, and consultants usually make above other devs and that's after the company takes half the profit.
Why would someone who chooses to do WordPress dev be worried about using the latest technology?
9:01 I don’t know if I agree with that. I think that a freelancer per hour gets paid more. The real question is what the bottom line is after calculating PTO, Health Insurance, etc.
Yeah no dude. You just sound lucky with your company. I'm working at an awesome company aswell but what if something happens to them? You're entirely dependant on just them.
Exactly
You just described my life for the past 25 Years I concur!! :)
Guess this guy did freelancing the wrong way
I'm 'freelancing' and also have a full time job. I just thank God everyday I have a full time job.
I remember watching this video at least a year ago, if not more. I remember appreciating and respecting your opinions, but disagreeing. I now have a full-time remote+async job and I couldn't me more happy. I make more money. My work is more interesting. I have better work/life balance. And my work environment is so great, it doesn't even feel like a job. I couldn't go back to freelancing.
How to get a remote job as a junior dev ?
the million dollar question
Or even before being what an employer would consider a junior. As a I have had responsibility of hiring a dev team but wanting junior devs. I saw loads who were just starting to learn, a beginner if you will, but that’s no good for most as I need at least a certain level and someone who knows enough to know specifically what they don’t know and know how to start learning that. So if you are a beginner, keep your current job, and do some freelance work. You’ll get paid to learn and will understand how clients work and how to deal with work. Get a network of folk too so you can get referred if a junior job comes up. Next to no company will hire as a permanent employee if you don’t have at least a little commercial experience.
@@goesbysteve thanks soo much for such insightful reply , currently I don't have a job and I don't think I'll be able to get one soon since I'm student so any job has to be part-time , so i prefer to approach freelancing , if you could give any advice on that , i will truly appreciate it .. thanks again
You comparing different type of jobs. It's like comparing different kinds, like comparing SUV and sedan. Each of them serves different purposes. For example you live alone and not have much expences. You work whenever you need money. In company you limited how much day offs you could take. And clients is clients not a boss. Find clients is a lot easier than find new job. Of course company has a lot opportunities but for beginners it's great opportunity.
A more appropriate title would be “WHY I SUCKED AT FEELANCING” or “WHY I WAS UNFIT FOR FREELANCING”. But saying generally that freelancing sucks is just not true, but I know it is much more catchy and click bait than anything honest. The points you made are just very subjective and it really depends on one’s personality. You are unfit for freelancing we get that, there is absolutely no problem with that. But not everyone. A much more objective video would have been much more helpful.
What's the benefit then as a developer?
Most freelancers fail, therefore the title is accurate. Freelancing is hard and involves a lot of externalities that have nothing to do with your actual skills. There is a lot to consider and most people don't actually realize exactly what is entailed with freelancing, and even if they do they lack the experience and/or aptitude to effectively navigate the minefield of freelancing.
It sounds like freelancing worked out for you. Great, groovy, smashing. But you are not everyone, and the statistics show that freelancing (even before the rise of the gig economy) was low probability win for most people. Hence the OP's comments about most people just being better off getting a regular job.
Freelancing sucks, will take you years until you realized you have done nothing special in your life working for shitty and cheap clients, good luck.
GOOD advice. Liked and subbed. TY
Great content dude
I think freelancing is wrong for you because you have different expectations but it's right for others.
i was about to answer you
but you fixed it in the end
freelancing could be your way to start a bussiness and grow but never full time job make you run a bussiness
but there is lot of points you mentioned is wrong or maybe not accurate
the point you said one boss or multiple bosses
is positive not negative
simple i can choose which client and what kind of project i love to work on
i can say to client i cant work with you any more
without afraid to lose my job
lot of points mentioned is flipped
That what a job is
Zero flexibility with hours and no opportunities for branching out when working for a company.
Lots of flexibility in software these days and lots of opportunities to branch out. The company I work for is super flexible. And ppl are branching out to product owners or management if thats their thing
What if I'm sort of ready to retire (coz I got enough money ;)) and just want to do 10-15 hours a week to avoid brain rot?
The intro is so long... I was starting to wonder what video I was watching
how do people find contractors for hire for a small biz?
😐
You are quite similar to Magnus Carlsen's father
8:10 did you say this -->Guberniyas? The word and concepts I know verses how they are applied Im just curious.
Kubernetes
I’ve been trying to do this for 3 years now... any tips on FINDING the job?
just login and wait the miracle mate ^_^
Seems like he just wants to thin out the herd given how the freelance web development community is over-saturated at the moment. Nah, I'm joking...don't hate!
Busted! 😂
Hello, I'm a web developer, I learned during the past 3 years and when I entered to Fiverr, I didn't get any order and the clicks are so low, Just I do not know why.
Can I get a solution from you?
Thank you.
I think offering a service that is not too competitive will really help your visibility. It took weeks before my first client found me.
Outreach directly
Dope intro
Can you send me your freelance ebook please? I dint know why but it has not arrived to my email
Did you check the spam folder? Go to Travis.media and hit the contact button and send me your email address and I’ll get that to you ASAP.
Great relatable points!
Lol that intro was way too long
🤷♂️
Leaving out the, you have the project manager, you have the business analysts, you have the QA engineers, and all their managers and their manager's managers, who provide questionable value to the project, and all of which you need to educate, because they are 'not that technical, all of who are collecting hefty paychecks riding on the back of your hard work, and then listen to them tell you how to do your job, and negotiate that nightmare of egos while attempting to deliver a functional product that actually works. No thank you. I happily left that all behind, I have a client, we work out requirements, I deliver functional products, I find satisfaction in my job and work.
Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you are doing well with it.
nice points! problem is this works mostly for US. For some other countries that are not so lucky, local companies that allow now remote, pay about $25.000 per year, therefore there is a huuuge difference added by those benefits offered from the company (only a small part of the amount charged at client arrives to you). If we tried to reach US companies as foreign citizens is way more difficult
It is fun to see in Japan and France freelance is better while in US it is worse. As a freelance in Japan I make 4 times better than employee. Tax is higher for employees and I can pay cheap healthcare. My Japanese is not so good so I prefer to write code only. So if I finish one job 2 hours a day. I can take 4 job. While as employee my salary will not be four times 9:56
Idk, both suck tbh. I don't want to waste my life working corporate jobs, but I also have no interest in being a CEO, marketing, looking for jobs, talking to clients etc that I would have to do if I were self-employed or a small business owner. One alternative could be to not work for clients but make some product of my own that I can sell instead, but when you're alone you're really not positioned well for success on that front. It's hard to think of any idea noone else has, and there's basically zero chance you can compete with large companies on your own. Anything you can do, they will do better and quicker. But then again, sitting in an office working on some corporate software I don't give a damn about, I feel like I'm wasting my life...
Same situation with me .... I quit my high paying corporate job last month and now not sure which path to take
I share your same sentiments. I'm learning web development but looking at the options:
A: work a corporate job who doesn't give a fuk about me.
B. Work for pushy picky clients and be stuck at my desk at home
It's looking less and less attractive to me Everytime i think about it.
@@Seekingtruth-mx3ur work for the money. Deal with the suck. Thats life. Whether u work for a corporate or a startup or yourself. Software pays well these days. So if you hate work it is actually a good ticket towards early retirement if you put in the work for a decade or 2 and are not interested in having a family
@@bigbrother4ever I guess you're right. It's choose you're poison and just deal with it.
@@Seekingtruth-mx3ur how is it going after 9 months?
Video Starts At 3:00
bigggg caveat to everything this guy says - being a wordpress developer is verrrrry different to being a... ummm... more advanced developer shall we say. I'm going into freelancing and I'll be working on normal software products not just making identikit wordpress websites...
his route into software development is like the opposite of mine and a lot of people's - I started as a full time employee for years, learning everything from everyone, then once I felt advanced enough to be able to be a productive consultant, that's when I would make the switch to freelancing
I know this is a couple of years old, but looking at trying out some freelancing, while I'm searching for a new job. I have a severance, so some leeway on freelance compensation. Again, just trying it out.
I'm still contemplating between the 2 🤣
What do u think about working for a toptal?
I only make 40k a year with 26 years of experience. Im almost certain I would be making a lot more as a freelancer with same years in business.
What currency is that? I feel like anyone with 10 years experience in software development would be on a lot of money. Have you worked at many companies?
@@fabtjar im not a software developer Im a graphic designer and I dont live in US I live in the Caribbean. We make less money than US. What Im saying is that if I were a software developer with 26 years of experience I would be making a lot more money than my current position as a designer.
What about contract work? I hear it pays at least 30% more than full-time.
remote job, freelance. all the same to me. i just pick the right client, that works best with what i want to do, lot of projects to choose from, and i still learn more stuff, and in fact i know alot more about other tools and technologies than other developers do. i found it to be quite the opposite minus the pay. it's really all how you do it. even boeing hires contractors
Hi Travis, not sure if you read your comments from older videos like this, but I'm 46 and been trying to learn programming and then get a job, it's pretty hard to find a jr dev job at my age so I guess I'm stuck doing freelance for a while until I can prove that I have the experience. Then I'd really like to get a job for a company that gives benys and stability. Wondering if you can follow up this video and comment on that perspective? how long do you think you had to work freelance before you were good enough to get a job with a company?
I think all you’d have to do is show experience or knowledge in technologies that the company is looking for. A year of freelance should be enough. If your freelance work doesn’t provide experience in the latest frameworks or technology, you can take a course on udemy and make your own personal project in a couple of weeks. You can use your freelance work to say that you have experience talking with clients, getting requirements, understanding products, debugging current issues, and prioritizing time. And your course+personal project will show your skills in newest technologies.
Bryan Stark, I’m in the same boat. How’s your journey going?
Very insightful. FOOD for thought.
What kind of accent is this? It's fantastic.
That's so true. Don't freelance if you want a constant pay.
START A SMALL BUSINESS
GENIUS!!
Great video! Liked!
Remote working would seem to beat freelancing as the video states because a lot of the perks of freelancing come with remote work but very few of the drawbacks.
For those of an entrepreneurial bent this could still work as remote work can often be completed faster than a regular job (no distractions, commute etc) and that will leave you more time to start a side hustle/business (freelance or otherwise) if you want to.
fooledbyrandom991 that’s a great point