How to build a new career as a fullstack freelancer?

Question

Freelance

For the last 15 years I have been developing web projects. Previously, it was all sorts of complex sites. Then, with the advent of demand, I moved into the development from scratch of various kinds of web applications such as custom CRM, business automation, etc.

I have always worked as a leader of a small company (from 1 to 7 people). Lately I've been working as a freelancer. Running a business is not my thing, I like creating interesting products, not selling. First of all, I am a programmer-developer. Sometimes a loner, sometimes a group leader. I like to design, implement and independently develop the basis of projects, transferring the less interesting parts of the development to colleagues.

My clients are small and medium-sized non-IT businesses from Russia, Europe and the USA. There were also government clients. New orders mostly come by word of mouth.

My main stack on which I build products is Linux-PHP-JavaScript-HTML/CSS and related technologies. Now mostly on Laravel + Vue.js frameworks.

I'm looking at other stacks with great interest (Python, Go, Node.js...). It is interesting to get into electronics development, mobile development, artificial intelligence, highload, but so far these are just dreams and studying information in your free time. There are so many interesting technologies around and I want to try them all!

But I have to choose, either I earn money on what I can, or I study something new and earn little. And for both at once - there is not enough time. It is scary to take orders on these technologies with which I have no experience and fail orders due to lack of real experience.

In recent years, I began to understand that this is a dead end in my development and that I need to radically change my career. Perhaps a device in a large IT company will help with this. In my environment, I turn out to be “the smartest” and I have no one to learn from. I would like to work in an environment of equal or more experienced colleagues. I want development. I want IT parties.

I suppose one of my main disadvantages will be the lack of real experience in modern team work practices, such as Scrum, Agile, Continuous Integration ... and other important things that are now necessary when creating large projects.

At the same time, I certainly do not want to sag a lot in terms of income. Judging by the market reviews, my income is approximately the same as the upper salary bar for PHP developers, well, maybe 30 percent higher. However, I work from home.

- I never worked “for my uncle”. Is it worth trying?
- Where should I look for a job, in which companies?
- Where can you work with different technologies without focusing on one specific stack?
- What position should I apply for? For a programmer or some kind of manager, even though I have no experience in large companies.
- Is it worth looking for a job in Russia or is it better somewhere in Europe or the USA?

Tell me where to go, I'm really at a crossroads and the opinion of the community will be very useful for me.

Answer 1

from the savings you need to finance your own training and consider it as a medium-term investment. and if you can't afford it, then alas.
or still go to the new stack with a junik. you will quickly grow to the level of your incompetence.

Answer 2

Basically, I was in the same situation. Was doing the same. The stack is the same.
so it has grown to the maximum in terms of salary in Russia.
In general, you will be in great demand on Upwork, out of competition after the first 5 orders and getting a top rated badge. It took me a month and a half.
I work an average of 5-6 hours a day.
And somehow, immediately, my laziness, the desire to learn new technologies, etc., went away. And when it rolls, I open the analytics for income / expenses and everything goes right away. Even here 3 years with one client and there is no burnout.
What was the point of working hard and reaching the maximum, then to achieve it in another area with a drop in income. need to use, learn more and earn more.

Answer 3

I'm sick of the web, but there are orders. I will study something else. Here you live your life, and then in old age you will remember that you spent it on what you hated.

Answer 4

you have a big confusion in the testimony

it was all sorts of complicated sites

Linux-PHP-JavaScript-HTML/CSS and related technologies

there are no complex sites in PHP, JAVA, Noda, Python will stick out there, less often C / ++, now Go
is either like adults like VK and FB - from puff, only syntax
is your best skill - management, try it in product owners or product managers, PHP proger - a stupid branch of evolution, while you work - you can master something trendy - for example, Go for money or Rust for holivar

Answer 5

In general, I agree with Yulia Bedrosova .
From my experience - maybe just lucky, but I often came across customers with projects where I knew 50-80% of things, and learned the rest on the go.
Over the past 15 years, you have probably built up a customer base - check what they need today, and where your skillset matches by more than half.

Answer 6

find yourself a friend partner, he will do business you develop