What I Learned In My First Year Of iOS Consulting

[acconrad]

One of my common hangups with these kind of posts is the lack of history as to what lead people to these consulting gigs. Where were you before, and how long were you there? How long have you been in the game and what do you offer that is unique / special? I feel like I've wanted to jump into the consulting game for the past few years but haven't because I don't feel like I'm an expert in a particular field that would warrant consulting/contracting expertise, and I feel like you need to have a certain skill set / years of experience under your belt if you want to maximize your chances of being successful as a freelancer.

Happy for the OP, but it's just as important to provide how you got there (not to mention I'm really interested to know what led you to this level of expertise to be so in demand) so a greenhorn dev doesn't quit his job thinking anybody can do this.

[brandontreb]

That's a great point. I couldn't agree more. I should have given some more intro, however if you follow the link at the top of the post, it provides much more context.

http://brandontreb.com/what-i-learned-in-my-first-month-bein...

On my iphone right now, but if I get a chance I'm happy to post more backstory here in the comments later today.

Thanks for the feedback!

[caspian9]

Very inspiring post. Almost thou persuadest me to go indie :).

I am glad you covered all the angles, including family, which is very important to me too. Good luck with 2014!

[melling]

Are you required to give project time estimates to clients before you start? What's the best way to set expectations? Things always seem to take longer than planned. One could add a bit of padding for tasks but sometimes you don't need it.

[brandontreb]

It depends on the project. I seldom do fixed bid projects as I'm a big fan of agile. I'll give a rough estimate but bill on time and materials.

[brandontreb]

Weird this article fell like a stone from #2 to 20 in seconds. Crazy

[marze]

Don't see any reason it should be flagged, it seems informative and worthwhile.

[sledmonkey]

Thanks for sharing. I've just embarked on this path recently so these are some timely tips.

[brandontreb]

Congrats and good luck!

[HowardJ]

How many days a week do you work? How many hours a day?

[brandontreb]

Depends. Early on i was putting in 50s. During the summer it was closer to 20 ;) now I'm between 30-40. Family time is super important to me so I make sure to be off by 5 (I'll still take calls and address issues at any hour when/if needed)