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Ask HN: How do you become a subcontractor?

6 points by cjo ↗ HN
I'm a programmer of several years and would like to start subcontracting but I don't know where to start. I was supposed to be bringing in money with this some time ago and I'm at a point where I need to make things happen or choose a new career path. My github and homepage are linked in my profile for reference.

What I've tried: I've been to a few meetups but I can get nervous in crowds and intimidated around good programmers. I've signed up on elance but I don't have the experience to bid or choose projects properly. I've tried networking with my existing social contacts.

What I can do: Python, Django REST Framework, PostgreSQL, Clojure. I like databases and I'd rather write raw SQL than use an ORM but Django solves other problems that make it worthwhile. I have some skills with HTML/CSS but I usually modify an existing template instead of writing from scratch. Though I feel most at home on the backend I'll be picking up a frontend framework soon, probably Angular with Bootstrap.

What I struggle with: High level design decisions that come with experience, networking.

Basically "explain it like I'm five". I would like to work for an experienced contractor who has the ability to code the entire project but wants to farm out the legwork, how do I make that happen? Are there good websites or job-boards I should know about? If I go full-stack JavaScript will I suddenly be in high demand?

I'll be checking the thread periodically and my email is in my profile, if you're in downtown Denver I'd be happy to buy you a cup of coffee and chat about it.

7 comments

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gt565k
Sounds like you need to network and meet people who are in that position.

I'd suggest checking out python, django, and other web related meetups in your area and talking to people there.

A lot of those meetups accept speakers as well, so if you think you've worked on some domain problem that you can explain well, then create a quick tutorial / presentation and do it.

It will help establish some credibility and will make it easier for others to approach you as well.

cjo
That's good advice, I haven't been to a meetup in a while. There are two interesting meetups in the next week alone and several over the past few months that I probably would have enjoyed.
DavidPP
I know they sometime get a bad reputation, but have you tried contacting a good recruiter in your area?

They will help you with your resume and find you potential contracts (as long as you can pass an interview).

Yes, they will take their cut (18 to 33%), but if you never been a subcontractor, it could be a good way to start.

cjo
I've talked to a few agencies over the years but it's never panned out, they'd have jobs for different technologies than I knew or they wanted 10 years experience for what I did know.

Can you point me to a blog post or some source of information on how to find recruiters and what to expect? I'm great at finding information about technical problems but with this I don't know where to start. Should I be sending out 10 resumes a day to anybody that comes up in a google search? Do recruiters list themselves somewhere so they're easy to find?

DavidPP
Well, in my case the firm approached me through LinkedIn with an offer that was relevant. I came into their office, we reviewed my resume and had my interview set for two days later.
bwh2
Why are you interested in subcontracting as opposed to finding a full-time job? Subcontracting is very difficult even when you're experienced, more so if you're relatively junior.

Based on what I've seen around Denver/Boulder, most of the Python work is at software companies that don't do as much outsourcing as agencies. I put together a list of +80 web companies around Denver/Boulder, and only a couple work in Python: https://crowandraven.com/blog/web-design-development-agencie...

cjo
Thanks for the list, it's a little surprising to see WordPress and Drupal doing so well. I'm afraid I've been underestimating both of them. I also didn't realize the popularity difference between Rails and Django was that large.

My heart isn't set on subcontracting, it just looks like a good way to go if I can make it work. In the past I've found that good jobs come through contacts and I was hoping that through freelancing I'd meet people. Plus Denver is changing so fast I barely recognize it some days, if I can freelance or work remotely I keep the option of relocating.

I love the name of your company, it's very poetic. I really like the homepage too, the text effects and zooming are nice touches. Unfortunately it wrecks my poor little computer, it acts like it might have a memory leak? Even so, I'm a big fan of whoever is taking care of your aesthetics.