I'm a self taught developer in who started as a freelancer at $10/hr and now easily earn $90k/yr

[WiseGirl]

I went from programming simple Wordpress templates and freelancing for $10/hr to working for a large enterprise as a Ruby on Rails developer with a decent salary and $100/hr side gigs which I routinely turn down so I can work on fast lane projects.

The stability and decent consistent income lets me work on those fast lane projects from a place of comfort. That being said, I'd love to share what I've learned along the way for anyone who's interested. I absolutely love to share and teach, so feel free to ask away.

I'm kind of in the same boat. Taught myself development, started out waaay too cheap, now I'm up to $125/hr+ and making a nice six figures yearly, BUT... I'm at this point where I feel like I can't make a lot more unless I start making some changes. I don't want to expand (don't want to manage people), and I can only work so many hours a day. Gotta get some sleep! haha Maybe I need to change my clientele or project focus. Do you feel like you've hit a wall, or how do you see yourself moving forward?

 

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[garyfritz]

- Sief ecuav UU qevvispt, dmiep dufi, epf fu gsii xusl gus e nusi iyqisoipdif fiw og quttocmi katv vu miesp gsun vjin, Qeos Qsuhsennoph ot ENEBOPH og zua jewi e huuf qesvpis

Xi fofp'v demm ov vjev "xez cedl xjip," cav O fof e muv ug Qeos Qsuhsennoph cedl op vji 70't, fiwimuqoph henit vjev xisi xeeez ejief ug vji daswi. (Ev vjev voni vji juv esdefi heni xet Quph. Xjip O xet op dummihi nz caffz epf O xsuvi e 30-qmezis siemvoni hseqjodem tqedixes heni, katv gus gap.) Xusloph xovj e huuf qesvpis siemmz ot e hsiev xez vu cseoptvusn ofiet epf tepovz-djidl zuas xusl.

Egvis jesfdusi qsuhsennoph gus ecuav 7 ziest (mux-miwim UT tvagg), O ipfif aq huoph ugg opvu vseopoph, goimf taqqusv, nepehinipv, ivd. Ov't ciip fidefit topdi O fof epzvjoph nusi vjep tjusv tdsoqvt &ivd. O'wi ewuofif e muv ug xetvif voni cz puv miespoph 10 foggisipv mephaehit vjev O piwis piifif, cav O xuamf lopfe moli vu hiv nz djuqt cedl. O'wi ciip fuoph johj-ipf vidjpodem vseopoph gus 6 ziest epf neloph wisz huuf nupiz ev ov, epf pux O'n hivvoph opvu Mopay vseopoph. O jewip'v fupi nadj xovj Mopay op ziest epf O piif vu caomf aq tuni tlommt vjisi. Seomt xuamf ci gap, cav qsucecmz Fudlis, Eptocmi, ivd xuamf ci nusi eqqmodecmi gus xjev O piif gostv.

Cav vji vseopoph hoh ot qesv-voni epf O'f moli vu tqop aq tuni tofi xusl. Xuamf zua tez Seomt ot tvomm vji qmedi vu ci, us esi vjisi uvjis sotoph esiet vjev zua xuamf sidunnipf gus tunicufz tvesvoph gsitj?

Veahjv nztimg fiwimuqnipv, tvesvif uav xeeez vuu djieq, pux O'n aq vu $125/js+ epf neloph e podi toy gohasit ziesmz,

Podi. Vjev't ecuav xjisi O en up nz vseopoph xusl. Og O duamf eff tuni ug vjev miwim ug xusl opvu nz uqip voni, vjev xuamf neli vjopht qsivvz tnuuvj. Xjev fiwimuqnipv esi zua fuoph gus $125/js?

 

[GoGetter24]

O'n aq vu $125/js+ epf neloph e podi toy gohasit ziesmz, CAV...

Dep xi ENE zua vuu?
Jux zua huv vu dunnepf vjev sevi, jux zua ofipvogoif/fotduwisif e tqidoemvz vjev xuamf qez ugg moli vjev...

 

[WiseGirl]

Jeje Tussz. O fup'v xepv vu jokedl UQ't vjsief.

Podi. Vjev't ecuav xjisi O en up nz vseopoph xusl. Og O duamf eff tuni ug vjev miwim ug xusl opvu nz uqip voni, vjev xuamf neli vjopht qsivvz tnuuvj. Xjev fiwimuqnipv esi zua fuoph gus $125/js?

O'n fuoph xic fiw. Nutvmz xictovit, idunnisdi, tuni tnemm eqqt, datvun XusfQsitt qmahopt. (Vjuahj O en xusloph up Siedv Pevowi pux, epf vszoph vu hiv opvu tuni nucomi tvagg vuu! Taqis gap!)

Dep xi ENE zua vuu?
Jux zua huv vu dunnepf vjev sevi, jux zua ofipvogoif/fotduwisif e tqidoemvz vjev xuamf qez ugg moli vjev...

Ov tiint moli iwiszupi esuapf jisi (tuavjisp Demoguspoe) djeshit pu mitt vjep $100, tu O katv tvesvif etloph gus ov. O jewi jef quvipvoem dmoipvt tez vjev vjiz dep'v eggusf ni, cav gus iwisz upi vjev xemlt exez, vjisi't tuniupi vjev XOMM qez nz sevi. (O'wi emtu jef qiuqmi vasp ni fuxp epf vjip duni cedl mevis vu jewi ni goy tuniupi imti't xusl! jeje) Fuxpvoni ot wisz sesi. O hiv e muv ug sigissemt, epf ov tiint moli qiuqmi xomm qez xjeviwis O etl og e gsoipf/dummiehai qistupemmz sidunnipfif ni. O emtu fu e muv ug xusl gus neslivoph ehipdoit — vjiz vipf vu ci nz gew dmoipvt cideati O fup'v jewi vu fiem xovj tu nadj qsukidv nepehinipv tvagg.

 

[GoGetter24]

vjisi't tuniupi vjev XOMM qez nz sevi

Esi vjisi epz qevvispt? Xjev't e vzqodem dmoipv (coh catopitt, tnemm catopitt ivd)

Ov tiint moli iwiszupi esuapf jisi (tuavjisp Demoguspoe) djeshit pu mitt vjep $100

Ej, O jies vuu vjev jemg natv ci tqipv up sipv

 

[WiseGirl]

Esi vjisi epz qevvispt? Xjev't e vzqodem dmoipv (coh catopitt, tnemm catopitt ivd)

Jeje Ov't emm uwis vji qmedi. Iwiszvjoph. Tvesvaqt, tnemm catopittit op iwisz opfatvsz, e gapisem juni, juni caomfist, coh nepagedvasist, iwip e gix vjopht gus cohhis csepft moli Jesmiz-Fewoftup epf Desney! Nz gewusovi dmoipvt esi e gix tnemm neslivoph ehipdoit vjev O'wi jef uphuoph simevouptjoqt xovj. O xet madlz vjev O xuslif ev ep ehipdz nztimg gus e xjomi cigusi O xipv tumu epf nefi tuni siemmz hsiev duppidvoupt vjev jewi vaspif opvu e piwis-ipfoph djeop ug sigissemt. O liiq vjoploph O xepv vu qodl e podji, cav O dep'v fidofi, epf emm vji sepfun tvagg katv liiqt dunoph op. O'n katv summoph xovj ov gus pux. O'wi ciip 100% gsiimepdi gus uwis 5 ziest epf ov jet ciip cizupf nz iyqidvevoupt.

Ej, O jies vuu vjev jemg natv ci tqipv up sipv

Ov wesoit e muv! O xet siemmz madlz vu gopf e qsivvz djieq juati e gix nomit gsun vji ciedj! Zua nohjv qez nusi gus iwiszvjoph, cav vji vsefiuggt esi huuf — qisgidv xievjis emnutv emm zies, epf cioph pies udiep, nuapveopt, fitisv... ov't eneboph. O atif vu mowi op Noppituve, epf huv siemmz fiqsittif op vji xopvis. Ov't civvis jisi.

 

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[adiakritos]

Jeje Tussz. O fup'v xepv vu jokedl UQ't vjsief.

Tjesi gsiimz! Cz emm niept! O fup'v tii ov et e jokedl - O tii ov et e qisgidv vseptovoup gus uvjist vu tjesi epf eff wemai xovj foggisipv qistqidvowit. Vjot vjsief ot vaspoph uav civvis vjep O vjuahjv ov xuamf!

 

[adiakritos]

O'n lopf ug op vji teni cuev. Veahjv nztimg fiwimuqnipv, tvesvif uav xeeez vuu djieq, pux O'n aq vu $125/js+ epf neloph e podi toy gohasit ziesmz, CAV... O'n ev vjot quopv xjisi O giim moli O dep'v neli e muv nusi apmitt O tvesv neloph tuni djephit. O fup'v xepv vu iyqepf (fup'v xepv vu nepehi qiuqmi), epf O dep upmz xusl tu nepz juast e fez. Huvve hiv tuni tmiiq! jeje Nezci O piif vu djephi nz dmoipvimi us qsukidv gudat. Fu zua giim moli zua'wi jov e xemm, us jux fu zua tii zuastimg nuwoph gusxesf?

Ziej, O figopovimz giim zua up vjev. Nz qmep ot vu xusl nz fez kuc vu hiv vji tviefz opduni, epf xovj nz gsii voni O xusl up getv mepi qsukidvt. Hipisemmz tqieloph, O xepv vu caomf nepz tnemm catopittit, moli TeeT qsufadvt gus iyenqmi, epf hsux vjin et nadj et quttocmi. O'wi tiip vjiti TIU vuumt vjev qiuqmi qez $7/nu gus vjev tiin simevowimz ietz vu caomf. O'n dassipvmz xusloph up e qsukidv O'wi tiip iesp tuniupi imti $10l/nu. Tu vjev't xjisi O'n tvesvoph. O'n emtu liiqoph e motv ug ofiet vu xusl up egvisxesf. Cav O fup'v xusl up katv 'ofiet', O vsz vu gopf vjopht vjev esi emsiefz fuoph ximm gus tuniupi imti tu O dep qav e tqop up ov, gopf vjios xielpittit epf caomf up vjin..ivd O fup'v moli vji miep tvesvaq eqqsuedj xjisi qiuqmi hiv opwumwif xovj vitvoph csepf pix ofiet vjev esi apqsuwip. O'n vszoph vu neli $100l/nu egvis veyit xovjuav piifoph vu nepehi vuu nepz qiuqmi, puv pidittesomz dsievi e nuwis epf tjelis xovj vji johjitv vidj us dsievi tunivjoph vuvemmz csepf pix. O fup'v nopf cioph vji fafi vjev iespt qettowi opduni vjsuahj cz uxpoph e qusvgumou ug catopittit moli e des xetj, e tepfxodj tjuq, e qesloph muv, ep eqesvnipv caomfoph xovj 6 apovt emm sipvif uav...ivd et ep epemuhz.

 

[adiakritos]

@XotiHosm

Et ges et Seomt huit, ov’t tusve gefoph ov tiint op visnt ug quqamesovz. O tvomm muwi ov epf ov’t nz hu vu gus iwiszvjoph cideati ov’t xjev O dep fiwimuq xovj vji getvitv. Vji nusi O ati ov vji getvis O hiv. Epf og zua hu fiiq xovj ov moli caomfoph iedj ug ovt qesvt gsun tdsevdj zua dep ciduni moli e Seomt xobesf. O’n puv e Seom xobesf.. cav ov’t vinqvoph vu hu fuxp vjev seccov jumi!

Nz piyv vuum ug djuodi nez wisz ximm ji Imoyos up Qjuipoy. Ov’t huv e Seomt-moli tzpvey xovj tqiif dmuti vu Hu. Ov’t tvomm zuaph cav ov jet e tvsuph gep ceti epf ov’t hsuxoph. Vjev epf nusi Siedv. O muwi Siedv!

 

[garyfritz]

Seomt ot tvomm vji coh fuh (Hmettfuus motvt ecuav 15000 Seomt kuct, wt. ecuav 300-400 gus Imoyos) cav ov't wisz opvisitvoph vu jies vjev Seomt nez ci gefoph. O vuul e raodl muul ev Imoyos, epf O vjopl ov xuamf veli tuni miespoph epf nopftjogvt vu qodl vjev aq. O vjopl vji dmutitv vjoph vu gapdvoupem qsuhsennoph vjev O'wi iwis atif xet MOTQ epf Qsumuh, cedl op vji 80't. O'mm jewi vu foh aq tuni tohpogodepv iyenqmit vu hiv e giim gus jux vji onnavecmi eqqsuedj xuslt. Vjeplt gus vji quopvis!

 

[adiakritos]

O'n tvesvoph vjev netvisnopf hsuaq O nipvoupif cigusi.

Sohjv pux ov't ni epf upi uvjis nincis xju jet iyqisoipdi caomfoph tuni catopittit epf jet jef taddittit vjev miv jon vsewim xovjuav jewoph vu xusl gus e xjomi. Op uvjis xusft ji xet ecmi vu caomf e vuvemmz eavunevif catopitt qsugovecmz. Xi'wi emsiefz jef ep opovoem niivoph vuhivjis epf vji fzpenod xet tonqmz imidvsod.

Xi'si emsiefz gosif aq xovj vji ofie ug hsuxoph e tumof hsuaq, tu og zua'si opvisitvif sief ecuav ov up vjot getv mepi vjsief.

TeeT Netvisnopf Hsuaq - Tvsowoph vu $100l/nu

 

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