I enjoy waking up before everyone else does, even though it’s hard to get out of a cozy af bed.

Chances are that my day would flow better if I get an early start to it but being a dev often means late nights. Sometimes that brick wall leads to all nighters with great code, good enough code, and meh code. How do we strike a balance here?

I’m sure by now most of my readers are familiar with the constant nag of ‘Get more sleep’, how exactly? We can’t really quit our jobs, make a lifelong vow to the lords of the couch to be one with a potato, and let our beneficiaries starve? (cough, I mean family – reallllly)

The problem I have with this sincere request is that it’s unrealistic in IT and in particular development. The odds are stacked against us if we work from home. We don’t get to switch off or turn our backs on the possible conundrum of a shitstorm that often looms it’s disgusting head during long work hours and stringent deadlines. I often found a consensus that deadlines become more and more stringent because of the need for a break from the chaos which ultimately leads to putting it off to the last moment.

There is an erroneous belief that a love and passion for coding == a love and passion for client work. And while you can be passionate about something, in general, it shouldn’t render you a fatigued, stressed-out, depressed, high strung, and disrespected being.

I am harping on and on about the problem.. please hang in there… *hangs a coffee IV* … there you go buddy…

The unspoken (or not nearly  spoken about enough) view is that if we say we’re human it comes with a monetary / career loss. If we admit to needing a break, we are liabilities.

Here’s what I do and endeavor to do cause science knows I fall off the damn ‘I manage my schedule like a boss’ wagon a shit-ton of times.

Make a list of what you need every month to be all zen and stuff

Rent, food, utilities, pizza (look it deserves it’s own damn category), a small stipend for broken crap that always chooses to break in the middle of coding etc.

Stick to this budget.

Make sure that each project leads to savings or contributes towards your savings goals.

Be comprehensive, you don’t want to be caught off-guard with the added financial stress.

Ensure that you’re not overbooking and give yourself a 20-30% time leeway on EVERY project before you send a quote.

Note that I said time and not rate, but you should be priced to be comfortable.

Price yourself correctly and add terms and conditions that make sense for you

Make sure you protect your time so that if things go south, your agreements should be iron clad. Try to be transparent, be open to offering unfinished work in exchange for monetary returns or more leeway to see things through.

Focus on preparing for your project.

Do your initial research, map things out, start a project board, write a technical spec document if one hasn’t been handled already. Plan for hurdles, if any.

Communicate

I know it may suck to communicate to someone who doesn’t understand the difference between a server and a toothpick but work on this skill daily.. the return is huge and you may actually find that people are more likely to give you the space to let your code shine if they think you gave a shit about other humans. In an ideal world we would adore every project and have great relationships with clients but it’s not an ideal world. . you’re bound to have some douchebags in the mix so mastering the art of communication is the key to not losing your sanity and ultimately avoiding the whole ‘I’ve become a vegan, hippie, who gains sustenance from the sun, the earth is flat, and someone fried my brain’ thing.

Have a side piece

You read right, have a passion project on the side. Don’t burn out, re-ignite your love for development by working on a sensual, steamy line of code when you start banging your head against a wall on your client’s work. Remove yourself from the stress and place yourself at the helm of the – fine I’ll stop. You get it – work on something you love to get through the hump.

If you’re someone who can stand the light of our star – take a breath outside, do something with your hands (like gardening damn it), and create these positive associations in your mind. Chances are, you’ll come up with a ton of code-related ideas too.

Level up by learning something new that keeps you going. Establish a routine that works for you, trust me, you’ll be more productive and happy if you have balance. Automate everything you can. Try Clickup, try Stripe, and find ways to engage that don’t siphon a ton of time.

I hope my ramblings have helped you.

– DecodedNerd

I have often reached the state where I suddenly declare (internally) that enough is enough.

I have a long list of ideas that I’ve wanted to tackle since yesteryear. For the most part, all of these ideas remain viable. I know the industry needs it and I know it can transform the landscape of my life and the limitations thereof.

When I’m treated unfairly for long enough, I often look to the horizon of my withering dream list and think “If only I could just do what I want to”.

This blog is part of that dream of having something to turn to when I want to be productive and pout simultaneously. I want to build a platform where I can justify those moments that I leapt instead of succumbing to complacency.

The determining factors should however be an educated decision, after all, planning  to quit the abusive safety net of employers, unrealistic deadlines, stress, and it’s illusion of reliability requires a lot of courage and a brilliant career move.

Here’s a few pointers that I’m employing in my everyday decision making to get me to the point of professional (and personal) happiness.

Dream a realistic dream

When I was 18, I dreamed about taking the tech world by storm. I was a pc store manager by day, a bartender by night, and I somehow worked in classes. Back then tech was such a pipedream, a booming industry with a bunch of stereotypes that required tinkering in your free time as oppose to the here I am take me on this bed of binary variety.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my job(s) but I wasn’t passionate about chasing customers off my bar counter with a baseball bat. My passion since I was three, was science and tech. I loved the stars and I loved DOS.

My uncle, who was a brilliant mind, introduced me to the world of computing. Outside his exciting career of stealing watches to keep his girlfriend fed, he loved playing video games, tinkered with rudimentary code, and also dreamed of being in tech.

Needless to say, the thrill of what the power of the mighty keyboard can do had me hooked. I needed to know all there was to computers and thus, a girl with a dream was born (or something like that).

Keeping dreams realistic has been challenging over the years but age has rendered me my biggest critic. Balance has long been the high I’ve been chasing, a healthy balance between life’s demands, my needs as a person, and my needs as a professional is the ultimate prize.

Don’t get sucked in the “I’m all in *leap*” if you’re going to struggle and lose your way. Don’t get sucked into the 9-5 if your passion is going to die. Find a way forward where you can stay true to all you want to achieve, trust me, it’s the only way you’ll feel like you’re doing what you’re supposed to do and stick to it without burning out.

Set your goals

Whether it’s leveling up a skill or two or launching your startup .. you need to set realistic goals with markers for major milestone achievements.

Think of it as a roadmap. You’re going to encounter a few detours, sometimes client work might pop out of the blue or life throws you a curveball… you have to be malleable enough to adapt and goal orientated enough to steer the course despite any setbacks.

Micro goals are the way to have daily motivation to continue do what you do (or want to do best)

Try tools like Clickup to manage your projects. There are PM tools out there that will streamline your day and comms. Learn to be better at managing the stuff that’s tedious, automate what you can, and focus on the prize – your code.

Know your numbers

Figure out how to achieve the minimum amount of money required for comfortable survival and manage your time efficiently so you have ample time dedicated to your passion projects. If you learn to achieve this balance, you’d have peace of mind which will help you concentrate on tasks at hand.

Start planning, make a budget and stick to it. Make sure to work on a rainy day amount that’s worked in monthly to account for broken cords, a dead car battery, or whatever hiccups you may/ may not encounter. You’ll thank me later (I hope you don’t have to at all!)

Notify those that you’re responsible for

If you’re anything like me, this part will be the trickiest of all.

I somehow had the notion in my head that my family has grown to expect me to live up to a role. The role of provider fell on my shoulders a lot and so I wanted things to run as smoothly as possible at all times so they would never have to stress about the day to day life drama.

Life has taught me that if you continue to wait for the perfect set of events your goals will never be achieved. It’s never going to be the perfect time to embark on your journey of professional freedom. The best approach is to notify those around you that you’re financially responsible for; tell them you’re making changes and require adherence to a new budget that will make the transition possible. Stick to your guns, don’t be deterred, don’t feel bad that you can’t afford as much in the beginning. Remember, as long as the basics are covered, you’re free to build a (new) life.

Leap and know that you got this

At the end of the day, the biggest motivator is going to be yourself. If you set your micro goals list daily you’d have motivation to go on and conquer day 2 and so forth. If you’re seeing the change within yourself and your achievements then you’ll be motivated to stick to it. During your difficult days, you’d see your accomplishments thus far and be determined to push through them.

You got this. . and if you need that extra push, reach out. If all else fails, let’s open that hot dog stand together bud!

Say Hello or Follow DecodedNerd on Twitter … we have a dev community that wants to follow your journey. . you’re not alone.

It’s been a worldwind of  a year. Some good, a ton of bad, and a lot of lessons along the way.

When I revisited creating this blog, I thought about the type of community I want to build and I thought about the type of content I want to write. Most importantly, I thought about niches and what space I’d like to occupy on the blogging spectrum.

Say hello to Decoded Nerd.

I plan to write about pressing issues in the industry, how to overcome the struggles (and embrace the joys) of being a developer / tech, my personal takes, and a few goodies I have to sell / give away.

If you haven’t already followed me on Twitter do it now: DecodedNerd

In closing… live long and prosper.

Hi everyone,

If you’ve just stumbled across my blog, I’d like to say HELLLLOOO!

I’m sorry that my first post is serious-sounding but I hope to shed some light on some of the options that are out there if you find yourself in the predicament that many developers landed in these past few years.

Covid19 saw the world lower it’s raised eyebrow to freelancing and it’s attitude towards remote work, no longer were we the scourge of society asking for mail in documents and postage fees or play store cards in exchange for our dead uncle’s inheritance fortune, we were now legitimate means to answer the cries of society. Now I know I’ve never personally declared myself a princess of another country to gain a buck and find my prince charming, but many people view online work as a blanket scam even though I am a qualified senior level developer.

This blanket view of our community of skilled workers stems from a lack of understanding and the various online scams that are in existence. The shift in narrative is a welcomed change that is unfortunately perpetuated by a very negative occurrence.  Basically I am trying to say Covid19 sucks but it has left us with a few silver linings that we can utilize to make it through this difficult period and perhaps, enhance our positions in the time to come.

The job market is currently over-saturated by young, inspiring techs who are searching for a way into the industry that has continuously undergone drastic transformations in the last few decades.

I’m going to try to cover a few techniques that you may find useful.

Do not outsource unless you really need a break

My blog might be burned at the stake or thrown into the dark realm of my trash directory for suggesting this but if you’re a freelance tech/ developer/ designer – stop outsourcing. Manage your clients, take what you can handle, and slowly build a team of like-minded (and well vetted) individuals. Your reputation will take you a long way, even through employment drought season, so you want to ensure that you are being represented in your work, communications, and efforts.

Learn communication 101, learn the nuances of the language you’re presenting in so you can understand the spec and subtleties of a language fully.

I see this time and time again on forums, on quotes, in email communications that try to convince me to buy something:

The language you’re presenting it is important, you need to construct your proposals carefully so you can portray your skillset and convey that you’re able to understand your client and their requirements.

Spend time on perfecting your pitch and written/spoken understanding of the language you’re presenting in.

Chances are that you’ll avoid a lot of frustration if you can understand the subtleties of a language and communication is of the highest importance when it comes to remote work.

Find that price point Goldilocks zone, pronto!

It sucks to be under priced and undercutting is an absolute no go zone. We’ve all been at the point where we yearn for experience and are willing to work for next to nothing so we can gain skills on the job however, this leads to a false expectation that price points need to remain low and quality code matters less and less in a sea of $5 an hour resources to clients who want lipstick on a pig.

Price yourself at a comfortable hourly rate that allows you to grow your life, skills, and professional endeavors. If you’re starving as a developer then no one is going to be happy with your output, period.

Do not use response templates

You hear that? It’s white noise.

That’s what responses sound like these days – white noise.

Personal pitches have become a thing of the past as people rely more and more on prompt responses that can spam the masses. Clients do fall for this trap, especially when it’s laced with tech sounding titbits that convince clients that bots are valuable assets that care about their individual projects.

My advice is to actually read specs, put yourself on a timer, and quickly (but effectively) respond to every client / quote request. The appreciation that comes from taking the time out of your day to understand someone’s requirements and often their life’s dream is a huge morale boost and will keep you in the headspace that’s needed if you want to make a long term/successful career out of freelancing.

Learn project management 101, use the tools of the trade.

Create and Modify your path regularly

My buddy Dave and I chat regularly about life and career goals. One thing that stands out is our ability to adapt. I enjoy keeping friends that have this approach as it will always keep you motivated to do the same in your life and vice versa. Surround yourself with constant reminders of what you’re currently doing and what you want to ultimately achieve.

If your goal for the day is to wrap up that CMS project you’ve been working on and you fall short of your target, write down what tasks are remaining and modify your path. Keep things realistic as you go on and make sure that you communicate. Hold yourself accountable by keeping realistic lists and modifying said lists regularly. Be goal orientated and don’t get too cocky when you’re ahead – remember, being ahead is motivation to stay ahead.

Market to your loyal customers, add incentives

Clients, even the pain in the ass variety, love to know that they’re appreciated and you’d love to know that they will remain loyal and that your work stream will be steady/predictable. Learn how to market to your people, make your own predictive model to denote patterns in their behavior and,add incentives (discounts, freebies etc.) for new work.

Build a community

Perhaps this is the most important part as you will need support from people who understand where you’re at and don’t look at you like as replaceable. You’re going to have clients / employers that treat you like horse shit, that’s going to happen. The development community / IT has a whole is plagued by depression, anxiety, being underpaid, being undervalued, and  sacrifice (of health, not goats). You need to know that you’re not alone and that (even though devs are competitive by nature) we want to build you up too.

Say Hello or Follow DecodedNerd on Twitter