Many technologists, after several years of working as front-line developers, often face a career crossroads: should they continue down the technical path or transition to management?
In reality, this "dilemma" is somewhat superficial, stemming from a mindset that places oneself in the position of an employee. When unemployment strikes due to layoffs or company closures, does it really matter whether you were in a technical or managerial role?
The real choice should be whether to remain an employee or to "level up" and become an entrepreneur. For technologists who are passionate about their craft, becoming an independent developer is the most suitable path!
Independent Developers
Whether you call them independent developers or entrepreneurs, the key lies in the mental shift that transcends the realities of their situation—mind over matter.
Just as personal independence begins with mental and emotional self-reliance before economic freedom, the journey to becoming an independent developer represents a second stage of independence in life.
If severing ties with one's family of origin marks the first step toward independence, then decoupling from a specific company signifies the second.
Becoming an independent developer or any type of entrepreneur symbolizes this second stage of independence.
General Characteristics
The term "independent developer" implies individuals who possess software development skills and the ability to monetize these skills and their outcomes.
This means they must remain open-minded, not only achieving or surpassing average professional standards but also learning and thinking about operations, marketing, and business negotiations.
Independent developers have two primary assets to sell: their time spent on software development activities and their self-developed toolkits or other digital products.
Beyond the satisfaction of solving problems with technical means, independent developers also seek to maximize profits. Thus, selling labor time can only be a transitional phase; ultimately, the focus should be on selling self-developed products.
When selling labor time for technical support, the employment can be full-time or part-time, and the work can be remote or on-site, offering flexibility.
Mindset Differences
You often hear that in a job, you should understand the business, have an entrepreneurial mindset, and prioritize the customer—this sounds very "politically correct" but can feel manipulative.
If you are an employee and hear this from your company or some leader online, it is undoubtedly a form of manipulation, a way to exploit you—after all, you have no decision-making power over the business and no share in the company's profits, only a modest salary.
However, for independent developers, the understanding of these "requirements" is different.
When you work for someone else, you are essentially selling your time and services as a commodity. Your company and its employees are your clients. There are no colleagues or bosses, no "hierarchy"—everyone is in a cooperative relationship.
Your responsibility is to deliver code and documentation that meet the requirements. If you choose to understand the business or the clients of the company and its employees, it is only to improve your service quality and secure more long-term cooperation.
This is the true "entrepreneurial mindset"—everything you do is for your own business and career, not someone else's. You achieve your own success by helping others succeed.
Essential Skills
Competent professional skills go without saying; they are the foundation of being an independent developer. You can't afford to be half-hearted or unskilled.
Finding Clients
A continuous stream of opportunities is crucial for the sustainability of an independent developer's career, and finding new clients is one of the key ways to achieve this.
Establishing a personal brand and shaping an image through social media is an important means, but you should not create content just for the sake of traffic. Instead, focus on demonstrating your independent thinking and professionalism.
The primary role of social media is to cast a wide net, cultivate a following, and leverage the power of the internet and personal networks to reach potential clients.
This is a long-term endeavor that requires dedication and a solid foundation of professional skills.
"The influence you have in a community determines how much you can amplify your correct ideas. This is a capability worth striving for. Chairman Mao taught us: if you don't occupy the propaganda front, others will. However, while expanding your community influence, always remember that it is a double-edged sword. Without matching strength, it can easily backfire." — Xu Fei, "Self-Marketing for Programmers"
However, content on social media is often fragmented and requires a lot of reading or watching to get a sense of the person.
For potential clients, who have a clear purpose, it takes even more time and effort to determine whether an independent developer meets their cooperation requirements.
If there were a dedicated "business card" for business purposes, summarizing one's strengths, character, and services for potential clients, it would increase the likelihood of cooperation.
The above is my "business card" (visit https://yaol.in/ to see it), which I recently redesigned and updated specifically for the path of an independent developer.
Retaining Clients
The cost of finding new clients from strangers is relatively high, whereas retaining existing clients is much more manageable. Of course, retaining clients does not mean groveling without principles; it means establishing a healthy long-term cooperative relationship.
When clients choose to cooperate for the first time, they are trusting the image you have built. This initial cooperation is the touchstone. Only if both parties find the cooperation satisfactory will there be a chance for continued collaboration.
To make the other party happy, in addition to having your professional skills recognized, you must also be reliable, trustworthy, and considerate—putting the client first.
In this way, not only do you gain "repeat customers", but they are also likely to bring in new clients, gradually forming a positive word-of-mouth effect.
The principle is simple, but for many people, it is not easy to put into practice.
Conclusion
For those who wish to remain technologists, the path of an independent developer is the most suitable destination. It is more about a mindset than whether you are employed full-time by a company.
Independent developers need to use social media to market themselves and leverage a "business card" to increase the chances of cooperation, using these tools to bring in clients from a pool of strangers.
It is more cost-effective to win over "repeat customers" with your solid professional skills, integrity, and high-quality service than to constantly seek out new clients from strangers. They might even bring in new clients for you.
This article is the first in a series on the theme of "independent developers", focusing on the perspective of selling labor time. More articles will be written based on practical experiences in the future. Stay tuned!
Top comments (0)