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Comment by dpcan | Hacker News Reader

I run my own business. Been a web consultant / developer for over 17 years. I have a pretty steady clientele right now. I work 6 to 9am, then 10-11pm, and I usually get a hour or two in during the day. Plus I work 6am to 10am weekends, maybe more if my wife isn't tired and hangs out with the kids on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

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So you have flexible hours and on top of that, even if you go to sleep immediately at 11 and wake up exactly at 6, you don't get the average amount of sleep people need.

You may be an outlier who can do this, but the average human will break down with that schedule over the long term

You essentially work a half day. Burying the lede here a bit.

I never get to stop working, but thanks. Every day, all day, I get email and have to respond to a vast customer base. While I may not be coding away at my computer, I have to stop about 10 times a day to respond to customers, help them solve a problem, make an update, etc. It never ends, I never get vacation, I never get a weekend, I never get a holiday. I literally had a customer call me on Christmas last year because they got a new iPad and wanted me to help them put their domain email on it.

So, no. I do NOT just work a half-day, I prioritize, I multi-task, and it's very difficult to maintain this lifestyle.

Must be nice to have flexible working hours! Many people do not have that luxury, even when working remotely.

Sure, but some parents don't have the luxury of doing fewer hours at their job during the day like you. Weekends and vacations don't count.

> it’s very difficult to maintain this lifestyle

Serious question, why bother? Any normal job would have you working less (assuming it’s true that you never get a free weekend or holiday, which I kind of doubt). What do you get out of this? The ultimate satisfaction of helping a stranger receive email instead of being with your family on Christmas?

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