[ccdev]

The only reason I accepted is because the alternative is having no work. It's harder to bargain for a fair wage when you're unemployed.

When we were discussing rates, I proposed $60/hr which is perfectly passable in the city I'm in for a contractor with my experience, but they couldn't do higher than $35. I am seeking something new but I need a plan to live comfortably in the interim.

[noonespecial]

So why are you paying $25/hour to develop someone else's product for them?

I'm not trying to be facetious here. Imagine yourself a talent broker (even if that talent happens to be you). If the going rate is $60 and you're only collecting $35, you're paying the extra $25 to get the work done.

I get that you're in a tight spot. That sucks and I hope it gets better for you. But "I can't go higher than $35" should be firmly met with "I can't go lower than $60". If the product really isn't worth developing at that rate, it might be a product that shouldn't exist at all. At the very least, you should be bargaining to own about 29% of the completed work since you're subsidizing it.

[ccdev]

It is harder to walk away from a subpar offer when you have no other job to fall back on.