Ask HN: How should I establish myself as a freelance developer?
I want to move up that totem pole, on both fronts. I plan to spend the next few months improving my programming skills, learning a new technology, and attempting to become a full-time contract programmer or to land a programming job.
The two paths I can see most clearly are (a) Rails-based web development, and (b) iOS/OS X application development. At the moment my understanding of each of those fields is introductory-level: I've built trivial things but nothing substantial.
My plan is to choose one path, then build either a web app or a Mac/iPhone app -- both to learn the material and to have something to show potential clients/employers/collaborators. I have an idea for each one. Neither idea is likely to turn into a business, and neither would be especially technically groundbreaking, but I'd get a kick out of working on either one.
Some data points that you may or may not find relevant: -- I'm in my late 30s, which among other things means I can't put in college-type hours anymore. -- I don't have any formal training in programming. -- I'm pretty smart and good at learning things, but I'm not a genius and I don't expect to get hired at Google. -- I can communicate clearly in both written and spoken English. -- My visual design chops are better than most programmers'. -- I live in Brooklyn. -- As a user, I love Mac and iPhone applications more than I love web applications.
Let me know how you think I should proceed. Take into account the amount of work available, differences in pay, the difficulty of becoming competent, the ease of getting hired without credentials, etc. etc. Any other thoughts or advice appreciated.