

Ask HN: Is my conception of freelancing accurate? - codonaut

Hey There,
I&#x27;m currently working fulltime with python web development but have set a goal of working fulltime on freelance projects starting
later this year.  What I&#x27;m really wondering though is if my conception of what working freelance fulltime is like actually
fits with the reality of the lifestyle.  My ideal workstyle, and one that I hope to be living within a year would have me working
about 30 hours a week, and pulling in 30-40k per year(ok, ideally more but I&#x27;m trying to keep expectations in check, and I don&#x27;t need much to live off of).
Is it realistic to expect to be able to achieve that within a year given that I&#x27;m a recent college grad and new freelancer?  Currently I have 2 websites I&#x27;ve 
built for clients and a mostly empty github profile that I&#x27;ll be filling out more before the freelance switch.  My main concern is the amount of work-- 
from what I&#x27;ve read many freelancers seem to work MORE than their biweekly check counterparts, not less like I would like.  So, are my expecations in line with reality 
or is freelancing not the silver bullet like I imagine it?  By the way, I&#x27;ve read the stories about needy clients, inconsistent payment, and the need to self motivate-- all that I expect(though experiencing it first hand will surely be another matter).  Preemptive thank you for the advice-- it will be extremely helpful to me(quitting a job for freelance is scary!)
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bifrost
Freelancing for this kind of stuff is all about portfolio and networking, but
its entirely possible to get what you're looking for.

