Since when did a blog post about being a barely surviving freelancer qualify for the HN front page?
Sorry for being a bit of a jerk on this, but i don't get it. Maybe he got clients by being good at gaming HN?
It's pretty easy to find a token side point in any post and make a dismissive comment, as you have done. On the other hand, his central point was a useful revelation to me, despite my 20+ years of startup business experience.
His post is excellent, and exactly what HN is about.
Yes, CA has higher costs of living, particularly in the Bay Area. But 60k a year isn't bad by nearly any source you can find: http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Graphic-Designer-l-California... http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271024.htm http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/san-francisco-graphic-desi...
People very rarely choose freelancing for the money. If I was told I could quit my job and freelance for two thirds of what I was making, I'd probably take it.
As an aside, my mum used to run a bookstore, and I think it was Penguin books who used to prevent overdue accounts this way: If you're not paid up by the 25th of the month, your orders are halted. Only really works if you've got a decent amount of traction, but you can guarantee that the one distributor that got paid on time every month was Penguin.
Also, I like how you say "qualify for the HN front page" like it's some sort of accomplishment.
1. He might be earning the 30K while working less than at his old job (or more, to be fair).
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2. This is his first six months. There's nothing stopping him from earning more. Salaried employees face much bigger barriers to increasing their earnings, unless they switch jobs.
Most freelancers are not profitable right out of the gate.
Through word of mouth, and repeat business he will be able reduce the time required to acquire more work. He can use the skills he has acquired to be more productive and valuable to future customers. New clients and repeat clients will also be willing to pay-up since he is now a trusted resource, with less risk.