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A comment on Is software development really a dead-end job after age 35-40?. Parent comment

Re:Is software development really a dead-end job after age 3... by pmontra on Friday November 17, 2017 @01:54PM (#15724873)
I'm 50 and I've been a freelancer since 2006. I position myself either as developer (Rails and jQuery back then, still Ruby and Python and Elixir now, I'm starting to code with React) or architect and coordinator of developers. That works well with small companies. I attend to tech events in my city (Milan, Italy) and I organize an event myself. It's a good way to keep the word of mounth going on. I don't know if this is a feasible strategy for the next 10 years, but who knows what's going to happen by then anyway. I'll adapt.
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Re:Is software development really a dead-end job after age 3... by gozur88 on Saturday November 18, 2017 @02:14AM (#15728111)
The problem with freelancing is you spend a lot of unpaid time lining up jobs. Does that really pay off?
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Re:Is software development really a dead-end job after age 3... by svennek on Saturday November 18, 2017 @04:29AM (#15728385)
But that is why your rates are (hopefully) so much higher than an employee...

Rule of thumb, your business should be viable at 50% billed time...

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Re:Is software development really a dead-end job after age 3... by dep_b on Saturday November 18, 2017 @06:57AM (#15728671)
I spend a lot of spare time doing work for previous customers while being on a full-time project at the same time. Keeping multiple customers warm is a must. All paid though. A few weeks of not having a full-time engagement means finally being able to clear out the backlog and enjoying long weekends.

Every year I take an unpaid break for over a month around the holiday season. I love it but it always is a bit scary to be away from customers at the same time.

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Re:Is software development really a dead-end job after age 3... by spac on Friday November 17, 2017 @07:58PM (#15727183)
And how has that worked for you financially?
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Re:Is software development really a dead-end job after age 3... by pmontra on Sunday November 19, 2017 @01:02AM (#15732521)
Fair question.

Reasonably well. I made more money with my last job as employee, which was paid above the average of the market. However I own my timetable now and I work mostly from home. That is worth some money too and it improves the quality of life, which is hard to quantify but it's very important. I'll never be an employee again unless I absolutely have no alternatives.

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