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Comment by MichaelCrawford | Hacker News Reader

I hear quite a lot about how freelance design works well for freelance designers.

But I'm a software consultant; mostly I do "Greenfield Development", that is, writing entire applications completely from scratch. It's fascinating work but so painful that I would not wish software consulting upon my worst enemy.

For quite some time now I've been struggling to get out of consulting, and into a regular job where I can work in and office among coworkers.

Just making that statement in an interview, in reply to their query as to why I want to give up consulting, is absolutely all I require to be turned down for the job.

It is profoundly frustrating.

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What is it that you find so painful about the work? Not having coworkers or the actual work?

In recent years, it has become not having coworkers.

I'm a better coder than I used to be, so the software development itself is easier than it once was. But what was very hard was that after the dot-com crash, the clients always demanded fixed-cost contracts, they were never willing to pay hourly any more.

If I ran into an unexpected obstacle, I'd have to eat the cost of it. I always completed on my deliverables, as I regard that as the ethical thing to do. Even if I didn't, I had my reputation to consider.

Have you tried getting a shared office space somewhere? Maybe even where other programmers sit as well? I share an office and see people that way. If you share office with people in the same business you can also easily discuss any problems that occur and maybe get help?

that's my plan, once I get enough paying work in it to pay the rental. A private desk at Portland's Nedspace is $450.00, a "hot desk" is $350.00. I don't really need my own personal desk but the private desk option gives one 24-hour access, which I really do require as I am a confirmed night owl.

Until then, I hang out at wifi spots but it is uncommon to find other coders at any of them.

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