people with good wlb, do you have any sort of second source of income? youtube channel, freelance projects, side projects, etc no leetcode please
I used to run a consulting company on the side
Any tips on how to start?
Charge by the day or week, not by the hour. Raise prices as often as possible and focus on value-oriented (as opposed to cost-oriented) pricing. Search within your network for the first few clients, and find a way to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Politely but assertively ask every client to refer you to further clients at the end of each engagement. A good way to differentiate yourself is by combining strong technical skills with a specific domain expertise and high touch consulting. It's easier to sell clients on a smaller consultancy if you have a higher level of service and attention than the more established enterprise firms. This is what it means to be "boutique." You want to your clients that you're equally good at the technical side as the sales and communication side, and many founders/executives will find it refreshing to talk to one person end-to-end who has all the answers. They'll go to you because your size demands that you specialize in quality over quantity, and they will see they're not getting a runaround. Finally, don't get sucked into long sales cycles. Target cash-rich startups with demonstrable funding and require 10 - 30% of the full engagement fee upfront. Your invoices should be Net 30, and you should get everything in writing with a contract. Limit your personal liability at all times! Invest a few hundred dollars in an LLC and a lawyer to draft a contract template for you. Do not mix your personal and business accounts, charge everything related to your business on a business-only card, and aggressively deduct eligible expenses from your taxes. I think that's everything. Good luck!
I tutor programming students in college
Being a slumlord
Produce art installations for gratis https://www.sonicrunway.com/
I have excellent wlb and do 2-3 freelance gigs at a time. Few months, I would make more with the freelancing gigs than my day job. The diversity and not relying on just your day job for a living is very comforting to me. Never had to fight for hikes at my day job and do it only 'cause I love the work. Would definitely recommend. I don't have much of a social life though. I work a lot (out of my own choice) but also enjoy it.
where do you find freelance gigs?
Contributing to open source on GitHub can pad your resume especially if you're fairly new
It's usually hard to have both