Beginner’s Guide to Freelancing

The article presents freelancing as a path that can bring experience, extra cash, better communication with customers and chances to work on ideas you would not otherwise practice. It then focuses on the client side, negotiation, legal basics and project management as the main parts of getting started.

Reading notes

#

• The text treats freelancing as a way to gain experience, extra money, and learn things outside usual practice.
• To find clients, the author says he tried sites like Workana and Fiverr, but ended up getting the first job through his network of contacts.
• The text recommends not ignoring word of mouth and organic reach, as well as building your own network.
• The author also says not to automatically accept the client’s initial idea, because the suggested solution may not be the best one.
• In negotiation, the text shows that budget and deadline are hard to estimate precisely in software.
• The author says the freelancer’s job is to reassure the client, explain that the process requires refinement, and sometimes ask more experienced people for help to estimate price and deadline.
• In the legal part, the text states that some level of contract is usually necessary, because not everyone pays what they ask for.
• The author also recommends understanding a little about the rules of your own country regarding taxes and informal work.
• In project management, the text lists understanding requirements, estimating time and cost, breaking the work into tasks, using management tools and showing progress regularly.
• The author suggests breaking the project into milestones, then into features, then understanding what the client wants in each one and estimating the hours or days of work.
• The text recommends asking experienced people to review the estimates, adding time for bugs, changes and unforeseen events, and promising less than you can deliver.
• In the end, the author says he created Founders Kit to help organize the business side of freelancing.