Re:Ask HN: What to do as a programmer about to go homeless
by _xhok on Sunday June 22, 2014 @07:02PM
(#7929508)
Sorry to ask what are probably silly questions, but: how do I, uh, find these people? Like where do they gather? Should I look up local businesses in my area, call them, and talk about their problems?
Re:Ask HN: What to do as a programmer about to go homeless
by freshyill on Sunday June 22, 2014 @07:31PM
(#7929576)
You could start by Googling "Vancouver Python meetup" like I just did, and you'll find that there's a meetup happening this coming Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Facebook's offices there.
I know that sounds snarky, but that's really that's all there is to it. Once you find your way into a local dev community, you'll quickly find more and more connections. Good luck!
Re:Ask HN: What to do as a programmer about to go homeless
by memoirmasters on Sunday June 22, 2014 @09:07PM
(#7929726)
It's hard to think straight when you're going to be sleeping on the streets in a few days. Thinking becomes cluttered. Depression sets in. Please take that into account.
Re:Ask HN: What to do as a programmer about to go homeless
by pwim on Sunday June 22, 2014 @07:31PM
(#7929577)
If I search Vancouver and Python, this is the first result: http://www.meetup.com/vanpyz/ The next event is this Wednesday.
The organizers of that event probably know of companies in Vancouver who are looking for Python developers. You could also comb the attendee list and try to figure out what companies they are working for, as they'll probably be using Python.
Re:Ask HN: What to do as a programmer about to go homeless
by wikwocket on Monday June 23, 2014 @10:35AM
(#7932146)
Search job listings for jobs in your area that list python. Doesn't need to be a python shop, as long as they use python somewhere. You can call up or email HR, or better yet hiring managers/decision makers, and ask if they need any contract developers.
Re:Ask HN: What to do as a programmer about to go homeless
by rmc on Monday June 23, 2014 @04:31AM
(#7930836)
Look at Python conferences (e.g. https://2013.pycon.ca/en/ ), and look at the list of sponsors.
For general Python contracting work, go to people who already employ Python programmers, demonstrate competence, and then ask if they are hiring or know anyone who is. This can be virtually or in meatspace, at meetups and whatnot.
For getting work which is more than just being an interchangeable body who can ship a web app in Python, you'll want to find businesses which have problems which are amenable to solutions with computer programs, and then sell them that you're the right person to do that. I've gone over this many times on HN -- use hn.algolia.com and search for [patio11 consulting] or [patio11 prospecting].
(n.b. You should also shutter the business which sells fully functional prototypes for $3k, because that is not sustainable. Good clients know this, so if you're using that business for lead gen, you're selecting for pathological clients. You're also proposing to do project management for projects for the worst freelancers and the worst clients, at a fee of 8% on $3k, which is an even worse idea than delivering those engagements yourself.)