For years, I juggled a full-time job as a developer and freelancing on the side. Some months, my freelance income was higher than my salary. But I still stayed in my job.
Then one day, I realized something — I was stuck in a loop. The work felt the same every day. I wasn't learning or growing anymore. That's when I made the scariest but best decision of my life: I quit my job to become a full-time freelancer.
And my life changed completely.
Getting started wasn't easy
At first, freelancing was hard. No company was handing me work anymore. I had to find clients myself.
I reached out to friends, old colleagues, and even random leads. Some people were interested but had tiny budgets. Others liked my work but disappeared later. I even thought about going back to a job at one point.
But then, my first real project came in — and that changed everything.
The four projects that taught me everything
In just a few months, I worked with four different clients. Each project had challenges, and each one taught me something new.
Project 1: Upgrading an old system
My first project was simple: moving an old system to a newer version. It wasn't exciting, but it gave me confidence. I realized I could make money on my own.
Project 2: Fixing a slow, crashing website
A client's system kept crashing whenever they had too much data — specifically, thousands of barcodes. The old team's "fix"? Just add more server space (a.k.a. throw money at the problem).
Instead, I rewrote the code:
- Added background jobs to process data in smaller chunks.
- Stopped storing barcodes unnecessarily on the server.
- Used a Vue.js library to display them quickly.
Now, even with 80,000+ records, the system runs fast and smooth — without wasting extra money on servers.
Project 3: Fixing a stolen, broken website
This one was a mess. A local business had a website built with a cheap, stolen script. The company that sold it just changed the logo and colors — but none of the features worked.
For example, the site had a section for "Top Selling Products." But instead of showing real sales data, they had a random number column in the database. That's it. No logic at all.
I rebuilt it properly, fixing countless lazy shortcuts. The client was shocked at how much was broken before — and grateful for the real fix.
Project 4: My favourite one so far
This one is still ongoing, and I'm really enjoying it. I can't share details yet, but it's a project that excites me every day.
And in my free time? I'm working on my own products, too. That's something I never had time for in a regular job.
What I've learned about freelancing
Freelancing has taught me a lot. Here are some of my biggest lessons:
- Clients don't always know what they want. You have to guide them.
- Many businesses waste money on bad solutions — like throwing more servers at a bad codebase instead of fixing it.
- Some developers take shortcuts. I've seen so many lazy fixes that just cause bigger problems later.
- Freelancing is unpredictable. Projects can stop suddenly. Clients can disappear. But if you keep going, good opportunities will come.
What's next
Freelancing is not easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
It's not just about money — it's about freedom, learning, and growth. I finally get to choose what I work on and build things that actually make a difference.
If you've ever thought about freelancing, my advice is: start now. It's tough at first, but the rewards are worth it.