The project has become too big for one developer, what should I do?

Question

Project management

I have been working with the same client for several years, and I am practically the only developer of its applications. One project began to grow successfully. The client, of course, is happy, and does not want to understand or notice that the load that has arisen is simply too big for one person. It's one thing when once a week some user declares that "nothing works" - you can calmly figure out the problem. But if there are 10 of them a day...
The client doesn't take the idea of ​​taking other developers into the team seriously. Like, he can't increase the budget. In addition, everything is done on a self-written framework, which, to put it mildly, will make it difficult to find other developers.
How to act? Kind of a dead end.

Answer 1

Switch to hourly pay. Each appeal is paid separately.

Answer 2

Raise the hourly rate, arguing this with an increased load. You don't have to work 24 hours a day. If he needs it, let him pay extra for your inconvenience.
From the resulting margin, find a person who will take on part of your obligations to the customer. Control it.
And in the end, nothing prevents you from changing the project. When you leave, I think he will sing about "lack of money and bug tracking" in a different way.

Answer 3

In all situations (no matter what they concern - the employer, children, family), the best solution is always impossibly banal: to talk heart to heart and simply explain your current situation, they say, so and so, the project has grown so much that it cannot withstand the load, users arguing, what are we going to do? But in such an environment, I just physically can’t cope alone. Either I need to hire additional devs, or I will have to leave, give an example of well-known projects, the volume of investments in which increases in proportion to their attendance. He called himself a loader - climb into the back, everyone knows this. And if he doesn’t agree to these conditions, he will get an overgrown and unsupported project around his neck, which will simply be impossible to work with (leave the last one for last). Somehow you apply for a Toaster, but you need to contact your employer)

Answer 4

There is one more option. Find one or more clients for this project. With the money received, hire an assistant / s. Then there will be more confidence in the future if the client suddenly leaves and the price for the client remains acceptable.

Answer 5

Give the client ultimatum conditions: either let him organize technical support, or let him pay for the work at exorbitant prices, for example, 100 tr. Or ... Let him roll to her ... oh mother.