Freelance Tech Work Gold Mine

High-signal intel on freelance tech work from Hacker News: real jobs, recommended rates, founder collabs and guidance on building a sustainable freelance business.

Latest Discussions

Experience Report2d ago

Journey from Learning to Freelancing in Tech

The original poster shares a personal experience about learning programming languages starting in eighth grade and progressing to freelancing on platforms like Upwork, earning significant money. They reflect on the shift in freelance software work availability due to AI, and suggest focusing on building real projects with potential for monetization or proof of concept to attract tech companies. The main actionable insight is to balance skill development with practical project creation that can either generate revenue or serve as evidence of capability for future employers.

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🔗 Ask HN: How did you get from learning to code to making your first dollar?

Experience Report1d ago

Leaving corporate life for freelancing

The conversation revolves around the experience of leaving corporate jobs behind, highlighting the relief from corporate pressures. The follow-up question touches on challenges faced by freelancers, especially competition or disruption from AI technologies. This suggests an actionable insight for freelancers to consider adaptability and AI integration to remain competitive in the changing market.

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🔗 What Most People Miss About Getting Promoted – By Yue Zhao

Experience Report11d ago

Quality of Upwork Freelance Work

The thread discusses experiences with hiring low-cost freelancers on Upwork, highlighting concerns about the quality of their work. One user suspects that obvious errors would be recognized by the freelancer, while another shares a direct experience with very poor work leading to a refund. Both agree that major mistakes would be caught during review processes, and that minor errors, whether from humans or AI, are unlikely to have significant impact.

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🔗 Can AI Do My Bookkeeping?

General Discussion12d ago

Hiring and job opportunities

A user inquired about job openings at the company. The company representative responded that they are not hiring immediately but expect to have openings soon and invited the user to send their resume to a provided email address. Actionable insight: Interested candidates should prepare and send their resumes to the specified contact to be considered when positions become available.

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🔗 Launch HN: Constellation Space (YC W26) – AI for satellite mission assurance

Experience Report10d ago

Self-Employment Freedom and Lifestyle

The conversation highlights the trade-offs and freedoms associated with self-employment. One user shares a humorous perspective on the long hours, while another elaborates on the benefits of flexibility in work schedule, location, and lifestyle choices. Key insights include valuing autonomy over strict schedules, combining self-employment with a modest lifestyle to reduce the need for excessive work hours, and the appeal of remote work offering similar freedoms. Actionable takeaway: prioritize flexibility and lifestyle preferences when considering self-employment or remote work.

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🔗 The Uncomfortable Math of Working for Yourself

Experience Report5d ago

Senior Developer's AI Use in Contracting

A senior developer shares a candid experience of leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude in contracting work, highlighting a minimal-effort approach that still yields success. The conversation reflects practical everyday use of AI in software development and hints at potential burnout or desire for a simpler life. An actionable takeaway is considering how to optimize AI tool setups for productivity rather than relying on copy-pasting, possibly exploring training or configuring AI environments to reduce manual interventions.

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🔗 AI's Impact on Engineering Jobs May Be Different Than Expected