

Ask HN: Freelancing in the Bay Area - _august

I&#x27;m interested in doing freelance web development work in the SF&#x2F;Berkeley bay area, and was hoping some of you could share your experiences and advice.<p>I fully expect it to be more work than a full-time position in a tech company, and that I will have to delve more into the business side of things.<p>However, my concerns are about the types of freelance opportunities in the area, and if most are wordpress type jobs. Is front-end javascript and iOS development relegated to full-time positions?<p>I have a CS background and worked full-time for some time, but quit to work on my own projects instead. I&#x27;ve found some part time work improving a Meteor app, and am liking working this way much more. I&#x27;d like to take it to the next step, where I can work mostly on client projects and work on my own projects as well.<p>I&#x27;d appreciate any insights and advice. Thank you.
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hbien
I freelanced in the Bay Area for ~1.5 years, mostly Rails/Backbone. I wasn't
good because I was never more than a coder-for-hire -- but the pay was still
more than enough.

(1) Yes, companies in SF/Berkeley are looking for freelance JavaScript/iOS
developers. Especially if you've worked with
Backbone/Angular/Ember/Node/whatever popular framework used today. You'll
never have to take on Wordpress type jobs if you don't want to.

(2) My personal experience is companies prefer full-time contracts over part-
time contracts. They want 40 hours/week freelancers but if they can't find
them, will settle for whatever you can provide.

(3) If you can't tap into your own network to find these contracts,
subcontract through a recruiter or agency. Being able to work on-site is a
HUGE bonus, you'll get a contract in no time (although they'll take a cut of
your pay)

~~~
_august
Thanks, that's incredibly helpful and motivating. I'm going to proceed with
this plan.

