"Freelancing looks gr8 until you start doing it" is how I've felt about it for a long time. It can be rewarding for certain personality types but it's also quite demanding.
With mid or large companies, the biggest problem is the lack of direct impact and the motivation you might get out of it. Often, by the time, the impact is seen for a project you executed several months back, you've moved ahead and it doesn't seem to matter. Second, as you mentioned, the reflection on pay is also not proportional and immediate. Also, there is often frustration with decision-making being slow if you are of the action-oriented type.
I think, as with most things, the choice boils down to what kind of person you are and in what phase of life.
Btw, thanks for the mention as well! Much appreciated.
Interesting, I see multiple people doing that shift in the recent few months.
I’ve always assumed that it’s mostly because of difficulty to find stable pay, so in a tougher economy a full-time job is a safer option. I believed it’s a one-way decision, so if you experienced working for yourself it’ll be very hard to go back to full time job.
As I write, I had a difficult time figuring out what position I am for… I also made the mistake of telling my supervisor I have some ideas for new markets to explore and target, which of course, shouldn’t come from a Senior Software Engineer.
But I managed to focus on my tasks and that’s the reason I came here so I’m okay with that.
As for pay, in Hungary as a father of a newborn you get some extra benefits so considering those and the great policies my company gives, I think I’m close to what I made freelancing.
I’m also trying to move away from the time -> money employment types and this job gives me some extra time I can spend on my books and my content.
Great article Akos.
"Freelancing looks gr8 until you start doing it" is how I've felt about it for a long time. It can be rewarding for certain personality types but it's also quite demanding.
With mid or large companies, the biggest problem is the lack of direct impact and the motivation you might get out of it. Often, by the time, the impact is seen for a project you executed several months back, you've moved ahead and it doesn't seem to matter. Second, as you mentioned, the reflection on pay is also not proportional and immediate. Also, there is often frustration with decision-making being slow if you are of the action-oriented type.
I think, as with most things, the choice boils down to what kind of person you are and in what phase of life.
Btw, thanks for the mention as well! Much appreciated.
Totally
> what kind of person you are and in what phase of life
This was my thinking when I wanted to justify that it’s ok to miss out on some potential money.
I don’t mind taking the back seat in decision making, it’s part of my strategy to reduce stress. :)
"If you complete your Jira ticket in 5 instead of 10 hours, you're welcome to start working on your next ticket."
Oh man, I felt this, I have seen it said somewhere as "the reward for good work is more work" or something.
Did you ever manage to make being quick significantly more profitable as a freelancer or was it marginal?
Yeah I hear this saying too 😄
In freelance I used that extra time to hire someone to work on my projects instead of getting more work done.
Oh nice, yeah I suppose that's the best way to actually scale
Interesting, I see multiple people doing that shift in the recent few months.
I’ve always assumed that it’s mostly because of difficulty to find stable pay, so in a tougher economy a full-time job is a safer option. I believed it’s a one-way decision, so if you experienced working for yourself it’ll be very hard to go back to full time job.
So overall, you are satisfied with the decision?
Well, then I think I proved what you believed. :D
As I write, I had a difficult time figuring out what position I am for… I also made the mistake of telling my supervisor I have some ideas for new markets to explore and target, which of course, shouldn’t come from a Senior Software Engineer.
But I managed to focus on my tasks and that’s the reason I came here so I’m okay with that.
As for pay, in Hungary as a father of a newborn you get some extra benefits so considering those and the great policies my company gives, I think I’m close to what I made freelancing.
I’m also trying to move away from the time -> money employment types and this job gives me some extra time I can spend on my books and my content.
It's a complex decision, but sounds like the right one for you at this time :)
Sure! Many factors and everyone should evaluate for themselves personally! I also think I made a decision that supports me long term.