2013 – So Far So Good
Quick Summary It’s been almost two years since I started out on my own (give or take.) After leaving my full-time position as lead developer for an advertising start-up in 2010, I was working at a few different companies as a “full-time temp.” I didn’t really consider this being out on my own, because well, I had […]
It’s been almost two years since I started out on my own (give or take.) After leaving my full-time position as lead developer for an advertising start-up in 2010, I was working at a few different companies as a “full-time temp.” I didn’t really consider this being out on my own, because well, I had a consistent paycheck and set hours in an office.
The officially leap into full-time freelance didn’t happen until 2012. And for me, the transition was very natural. Many freelancers talk about how they worry about where their next project is coming from or if they will be able to pay rent once that weekly paycheck stops coming. I was VERY lucky that I never had that concern. I never quit my job with the mindset to go solo. It just happened. My contract position ended, and I knew I didn’t want to work for an employer anymore. I had a few projects lined up and each time one ended, more would come in.
I attribute this to a few things:
1. Producing good work
2. Decent search engine placement
3. Luck
Every year I strive to meet new goals. And in 2013, I met all of them. Which is great! But I’m not satisfied. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE what I do and my job is very satisfying. There’s just more I want to accomplish, which is natural. Every year I think “If I just learn this one new coding language…” or “If I land one big project…” But once these goals are met, new goals pop up. And that’s what makes this industry so great. Never stop learning. Never stop trying to produce good work.
2013 Highlights
Here are some highlights from this past year
- Started renting an office on Madison Ave
- Worked on a project for USA Network
- Worked on a project for Cinemax
- Moved to a new office on Varick Street in NYC
- Wrote two articles for .Net Magazine
- Worked on a project for Stony Brook University
- Wrote more blog posts and shared more tutorials
- Learned how to write SASS
- Got married – (maybe this should have been first?)
- 230,000 page views
It’s been a great year. Let’s hope 2014 is even better.
Thanks!
