Becoming a Freelancer

Why

For a long time, I felt like my current job is holding me back. A feeling of deceleration in not only skill development, but also about how my skill set is utilized. In a good working relationship, both parties benefit: they each get something they value more than what they give. While I continue to meet my employer’s demands, I no longer feel that my role gives me what I need. So, the only rational step forward was to resign.


What’s the goal

My goal is to rediscover a sense of freedom that I feel I have unlearned over the past few years. To speed up this process, I’ve decided not to seek permanent employment again. Instead, I want to freelance and iterate quickly toward this goal. I want to be an IT craftsman/artisan/engineer for hire, going with the flow until I have a clearer picture of my destination. Perhaps this journey is the goal itself. Time will tell.


What now

Establishing myself as a freelancer largely revolves around solving sales. I am confident that I can provide value when someone has an IT problem to solve; I just need to sell it.
I wouldn’t sell any physical product without an online presence, so why would I sell myself any other way?


Building a funnel

central entry point to my funnel:

  • personal website with all the necessary information and links; digital business card and main gateway for potential clients

demonstrating the product:

  • a blog showcasing stories, ideas and projects
  • github same thing, but focused on projects and the raw code

funneling into the funnel:

  • linkedin sharing stories, ideas and projects with professional network and building a further network
  • possible twitter for sharing random shit and building in public
  • establishing profiles at popular (at least in Germany) freelance intermediaries and platform like Gulp, Hays, etc.


That should work.
Start of a new adventure.