Re: I Did Nothing Today And Still Got Paid

This is actually a response to Fleire Castro’s question.

What can you do when you don’t have a job or task?

You can start a project of interest. For some, trying to figure out what they want to do is most difficult. It hasn’t been the case for me. My problem was that there are too many things to work on.

A few weeks ago I was in Manila for the RailsJam event and I found out there is a shortage of “Ruby programmers” available for work in the Philippines. Many companies are constantly looking for candidates who are qualified and available for work. Some of them even provide sign-in bonuses. Some of them give away brand new Macbook Pro’s. Some of them say they give “above-industry standard packages.” These are interesting to the inexperienced but those who know more will think more than twice before accepting such offers.

There are very simple rules to follow for programmers or for web workers in general:

1) Do not work purely for money. Find a company whose goals coincide with yours. It is more fulfilling to work for a company that has goals other than just being rich and cool.

2) Investigate the profile of your employer. How many people have worked for them? And for how long did they stay working for them?

Most companies these days will just look for freelancers because they don’t want to provide benefits due to that person. They are allergic to long-term liabilities. When the job is done, they’ll care less about you. It is risky to work for an individual. Even that person says he’s been in business for several years. Do not look at how friendly that person is but try to assess whether he can pay and pay on time. I worked for someone in London who’s quite famous in the PHRUG community. I think he lacks the ability to actually grow a business and even keep people working for him.

3) Keep in mind that nothing lasts so save - and save a lot.

I am one of the few who actually believe that it’s not difficult to find a job or something to work on. There is always something to work on but the problem lies on the following:

1) Time Management

If you use ODesk team or a time-tracking software, this becomes less of a problem. You will really get exactly what you deserve so make sure your hourly rate is high enough to consider the costs obtained while working on the job.

2) Picking the right game

Not everything is worth working on. I wouldn’t make another Brizzly or so. I wouldn’t jump into iPhone development because I don’t think it is worth doing so at the moment.

3) Focusing your energies on the tasks

Sort tasks according to priority. Keep away from distractions. Turn off your phone, close your IM’s.

Do I need to quit my job to do what I want to?

It depends on your circumstances. We all have bills to pay so if you can’t afford losing a stable job, then don’t quit. Just quit watching too many movies, dramas or quit any obsession that takes too much of your time. If you think you have to quit your job, then quit your job but make sure you’ve accomplished something for them. Be fair to people and they will be fair to you. It’s that simple.

Do I need to find a company that provides seed capital for me to start with?

I’ve read a lot about angels and investors looking for startups to fund. I think regardless of whether seed capital was provided or just a small of amount of money loaned, their shares in the company should be limited to their investment. Otherwise, if they ask for too much in return, just find some asset you’re not using and sell or get a loan.

Raising capital may not even be necessary for small web projects. Just use up your savings and work part time or full time for some company.

The worst thing I’ve heard of about “angels” was: they will give you one month to finish the project and give you one month salary. And they think that’s enough to start with. Ouch.