A Bike, A Bus, An Automobile

Three Ways To Get To The Same Place

I’m Dan● B.S. Applied Sociology -

MN ST Mankato

● 4+ years of Freelance

● 8 Months in-house at Blue Earth Interactive ( St. Paul )

● Currently Software Engineer at Alley Interactive ( NY, Remote )

Freelancing: The BikeMy experience: 4 years, 2 working with a company that did most of the selling

Easy to start (but lots of maintenance)

Go in any direction you want

Only limited by your own power

Freelance: Pros● You get to do it all

● Work when you want ( for the most part )

● Work from home / where there is internet

● Decided what direction to take ‘Your Business’

● Work on projects that are interesting to you

● Having your own portfolio

● Gain business experience

● Gain PM experience

● Gain client-facing experience

Freelance: Cons● You have to do it all: Payroll, Marketing, Business Development

● Living paycheck to paycheck ( until you’re super-dooper successful )

● Trying to get paid

● Often overbooked or underbooked ( stressful )

● Managing your own portfolio

● Little to no collaboration in your field - i.e. no code reviews / learning from other devs

● Feel like you can/should always be working ( time is money )

● Using your own equipment

Freelance: Advice● Don’t portray yourself as working for someone else when contracting

● Become a Business Entity ASAP

● Keep a ‘normal’ work schedule ( easier to transition to on-site work )

● TRACK YOUR TIME - even if you bill by project

● Know your local agency rate ( good freelancers should be about 70% of local agency rate )

● Go to meetups

● Learn GIT

In-House Work: The BusMy Experience: 8 Months in-house at Blue Earth Interactive, St. Paul, MN

Run and maintained by someone else

Follow someone else’s path and schedule

Very little cost to you

In-House: Pros● Consistent paycheck

● Collaborative environment ( maybe )

● Normal work hours ( for the most part )

● Travel expenses for conferences may be covered

● Often get to work on bigger / more complex projects than freelancers

● Benefits :)

In-House: Cons● Work their hours ( mostly )

● If salaried, may have to work extra hours for no extra pay

● Have to shower every day and get dressed

In-House: Advice● Working in-house has the benefit of helping you keep a normal

schedule ( if you like that ), though this can also be a drawback

● Make sure you enjoy the people and the company culture

Remote Work: The AutomobileMy Experience: Since April 1st 2014 with Alley Interactive, NY, NY

Freedom and power to go where you want

Follow the defined maintenance schedule

Remote Work: Pros● Consistent paycheck

● Collaborative environment ( though more difficult than brick-and-mortar )

● Flexible work hours ( for the most part - depending on the company )

● Work from home / where there is internet

● Travel / vacation opportunities

● Self directed work

● Company meetups

Remote Work: Cons● Must be motivated and self-directed

● Feel like you can/should always be working

● Sometime difficult to get advice / help when you need it

● Can be isolating

Remote Work: Advice● Learn to answer your own questions and be self-directed

● Take the initiative in communication with your team

● Make sure you enjoy the people and the company culture

Questions?@add_action_dan

@alleyinteractive