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28 Comments

Part-time work?

Hi all,

I've been thinking about working part-time while building my business, and was quite surprised that there aren't that many job posts on the big job boards. Even remoteok only returned 5 results for "part-time".

So I'm curious, is anyone here doing part-time work while building their startup (or thinking about doing it)? How do you look for part-time dev work?

Thanks!

Farez

  1. 4

    I can't afford much by US standards, but if anyone is interested in part-time dev work while building their startup, go ahead and contact me (details in profile). I'm always looking for devs to help me with my own start-ups and I can provide a lot of insight into building and managing products and teams.

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    I went down the same path suggested by @rcruz where I am doing 2 part-times simultaneously for previous employers and clients (Non-dev doing first tier customer support). Proposition is that they need someone savvy enough to handle customers comm and dev coordination / testing work - but no need for full time role.

    Working for fellow IH'ers is also an option. I recalled seeing LunchMoney has an offering like this awhile back. @lunchbag

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      Thanks for that. What made you go with 2 part time jobs instead of one full time?

      Thanks for the Lunch Money reference.

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        Opportunities come. TBH the workload feels like quarter time jobs at most time. It doesn't hurt that I am also entitled to employee benefit. The point is we (me and my "employers") know each other for many years and trust each other for work quality. Definitely try talking to your ex employer / client/ professional network.

        ps. choong from MWM Telegram group here :)

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          Oh, hello! Cool thanks for the tips.

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    I'm deep into the freelancing space and have seen platforms popping up that are sort of like Upwork, but limited to more high-end freelancers, with an emphasis on building "liquid teams" of vetted talent. Check out https://www.a.team/ and https://contra.com/. (Definitely more "freelance" than "part-time", but IMO, that's the way to go!

    1. 1

      Thanks for the links! Yes, I am a full time freelancer too and was wondering about part-time work opportunities.

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    Yeah, I'm working as a freelance software engineer and while creating my own start-up. This is the way to fund your initial start-up or own business. I prefer to fund my own hustle instead of looking for investors. Having an investor in your project will put pressure on you. I would enjoy making things without pressure.

    You can still have part-time if you are still building your start-up or SaaS. Focus on your start-up or SaaS if it is more rewarding than your part-time.

    1. 1

      Nice one. I am also a fan of bootstrapping more than spending my time trying to get VC money. All the best with your startup!

  5. 2

    Hi Farez, have you think about contacting previous companies where you've been working in the past?, they might be interested, that's what I've did (well, they knew I was building things on my own and contacted me).

    The nice thing is you don't have to pass further tests, they already know you.

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      Thanks for the tip. Yes, this seems to be the best way to go!

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    Try VanHack. I signed up a few days ago and they seem to have a transparent platform so far. I took a coding test which they gave 24 hours for and I passed so it's promising to me.

    Though they don't assure you jobs but they promise a good profile and they setup networking events. I guess the ball ends with whoever can sell himself as a senior developer to their hiring audiences. I see up $100k annually offered for some remote jobs on their job board so they might be worth the try.

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      Not heard of VanHack but looks interesting, especially with the example talent video right on the home page. Definitely a good way to show the talent's communication skill.

  7. 2

    I fell into this trap, I applied for so many part time jobs as a developer and they were all a bust. I even moved all the way from Fargo to Texas, just so I could teach at a coding boot camp part time. That was the only job I could find that was part time in the entire country.

    Unfortunately the school folded and I had to find something else quickly. That’s when I discovered freelance, it’s basically the same thing as a part time job but more gig based. I wish I would’ve found this way sooner. It pays way better than a “part time job”, and a lot more flexible too.

    I got started on Upwork. Unfortunately, that seemed to turn to trash. I’d explore code mentor or Toptal, if I was starting fresh today.

    1. 1

      That sounded like a rough early start. Glad it worked out for you with freelancing. Thanks for the tips and for sharing.

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    I completely resonate with this. I've been fortunate enough to find some amazing part-time gigs, so I made it my goal to help others do so too. I just launched https://parttimetech.io, it's a job board and also a blog. Might be helpful for you or other indiehackers looking to bankroll your main thing.

  9. 1

    I found this thread because I was thinking about the supply side of the equation, i.e. companies who could use part-time engineers. I advise a bunch of silicon valley startups - the talent market for engineers is so tough right now, its impossible to find/hire. I suggested to one of the startups, why not come here and post a part-time role with the understanding that this engineer will be hacking on the side and with the benefit that the startup founders can give great advice about getting from 0 -> 1. Thoughts? Why might you want / not want to do this as an engineer? What about from the startup's perspective, why might you want / not want to offer this as a founder?

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      As a developer, this sounds good to me.

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    Full time system engineer ✌️ and father of two kids (4&1)
    I still have some time to build products

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      Good on you, sir.

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    They almost never are. The process is to get a full time job and after some time when there is no doubt about having you on the team you ask for part-time.

    1. 1

      Good strategy there!

  12. 1

    Have gone through your requirement regarding I have skills what you looking for is this job
    please feel free to connect so that we can discuss further regarding the project.
    You can reach me at bellastone[dot]tis[at]gmail.com
    Skype- live:bellastone_5

    1. 1

      Thanks for the offer.

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    I went down the same path here in Europe at some point in 2019, hoping to find a part time freelancing gig.. Only to find out that it's almost impossible to find part time positions. Most offers I received were for full-time jobs (aka fake employees) or 4/5 at best.

    So I abandoned the idea and went back to work half-time as an employee so that I could continue to pay rent. This year I've been lucky because I found one mission for 1 day per week, but it came out of nowhere. It will probably only last for 1-3 months, but it certainly helps keep the bank happy :)

    IMHO the best option is indeed platforms like toptal, fiverr.

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      1 day per week sounds ideal if it's enough to pay expenses and give you more runway for your startup. Thanks for the feedback!

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        Another idea that I have is to put more effort into finding people I can mentor on a regular basis. That way, I could maybe remove the problem of finding a part-time consulting gig entirely. Of course it would shift to finding mentees, but I think it's more "reachable".

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          Definitely worth a try. Perhaps test it out with one while you still have your job, and see how it goes.

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