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Ask HN: Make money as a skilled developer? (Please help)
29 points by ffggvv on Aug 24, 2016 | hide | past | favorite | 10 comments
My day job sucks, the pay is low and I get more and more depressed each day.

As a skilled developer how could I make enough money to leave my job?

I'm not interested in "passive" income, but in something to work hard for and be proud of.



That's why they call it work.

Start planning do you want to start your own business or just get a better day job.

Start listening to this . . . http://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/ Rob has had an amazing journey.

http://wpcurve.com/bootstrapped-drip-into-a-7-figure-saas-bu...

https://www.drip.co/blog/tips-and-tactics/drip-joining-force...

And I'll recommend my favorite talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CDXJ6bMkMY

It's definitely hard and depending on your point in life it can be really hard to transition from day job to your own business.

single+young is easier than family+mortgage but either way you can do it.

I went from day job to consulting full time. I am working on products and a SaaS but it's definitely not easy. But it is enjoyable and the potential payoff is 10x your day job (most likely). Plus you control your own destiny for the most part, vs being an employee.

But work is work, if they pay you decently and it takes care of your needs plan your move carefully as you might not have it as bad as you think.

Maybe changing day jobs if a first step and start stair stepping with products/apps as another revenue stream.

Good luck.


Maybe try changing your mental approach? Don't confuse 'working hard' with 'making money', it's possible to work your ass off and not make anything, conversely you can do very little and make a lot.

It stands to reason you're not the only person in your situation, so as a skilled developer, why not build a portal to connect developers with people who want work doing? Maybe something like Freelancer but specific to your country?


Get a better day job? That seems like the most obvious, immediate solution.

edit: mind elaborating on your situation in your post? Where are you physically located? What are you looking for?


There's a lot of unemployment in my country (especially for the younger).


regardless of country it's possible to find work through upwork or if you can qualify toptal.


Based on your question and comments below, I would suggest trying to change job. However rather than using the race-to-the-bottom one off job sites, I'd recommend trying to find work with a remote company.

Depending on your skills I'd recommend seeing if somewhere like X-Team (or one of their sister companies, X-Five, XWP, etc) have any positions open.


Read or listen to the book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams.

He takes a systems approach over a goal approach. When you try to build a side project or startup, even if you fail, you should still have built a set of skills to help you in your next attempt.



If you are a skilled developer, it shouldn't be hard to leave your day job or find a different one. If you want to work hard as a developer, you can do independent consulting gigs also.


I know what your saying. Finding something non-trivial is hard. I know a lot of developers in your situation, I was one of them. Let's chat and see what we can do




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