> Then I considered the 4 hour problem, and thought: what if I get a part-time job? The company would get a senior developer putting in 90% of the work for half the price - or basically the same price as a junior. I would get time to work on my own projects, and steady pay.
That's an interesting idea but I think there's two flaws:
1. Selling 90% of the work for half the price sounds like a bad deal (for the developer), but I guess it's a required tradeoff provided how rare are the part-time opportunities...
2. Considering the "4 hours of productive energy per day", if you already sell those 4 hours in exchange for a salary, the time you want to spend on your own projects the rest of the day will likely be low energy and unproductive.
You mention you decided to do consulting instead of being a part-time developer. Did you face similar challenges in that position? You found those tradeoffs to be worth it in the end? Cheers!
Yes, I already do this as a consultant, and it is absolutely worth it. Obviously it's not perfect, and I do need to take some rest days (sometimes weeks), but overall: yes. I do good work for my clients and make progress with my own projects. I also make enough money to survive.
I'd like to not have to search for clients every few weeks though, so that's another plus for part-time employment.
As a dev who tried part-time a couple od times, let me give the same advice - never get hired part-time. You never work 4hs and presto. You work more, some day 6, other day you pull full 8 to deliver what was “groomed” to be a 4h task. Anyway, you get payed a half for what is almost a fulltime job. Don’t do that!
Made the same experience when I choose to work part-time and at the free time take care of my child. You simply work more, the pressure and the expectations are the same as before but you get a lot less money.
But I agree in the statement that the productive time per day is around 4h and the rest is filled with other things.
Great post. Agree 1000% on everything and have come to a lot of similar conclusions (and wrote about them too). How are you getting consulting clients right now?
Great post!
> Then I considered the 4 hour problem, and thought: what if I get a part-time job? The company would get a senior developer putting in 90% of the work for half the price - or basically the same price as a junior. I would get time to work on my own projects, and steady pay.
That's an interesting idea but I think there's two flaws:
1. Selling 90% of the work for half the price sounds like a bad deal (for the developer), but I guess it's a required tradeoff provided how rare are the part-time opportunities...
2. Considering the "4 hours of productive energy per day", if you already sell those 4 hours in exchange for a salary, the time you want to spend on your own projects the rest of the day will likely be low energy and unproductive.
You mention you decided to do consulting instead of being a part-time developer. Did you face similar challenges in that position? You found those tradeoffs to be worth it in the end? Cheers!
Hey, thanks :)
Yes, I already do this as a consultant, and it is absolutely worth it. Obviously it's not perfect, and I do need to take some rest days (sometimes weeks), but overall: yes. I do good work for my clients and make progress with my own projects. I also make enough money to survive.
I'd like to not have to search for clients every few weeks though, so that's another plus for part-time employment.
As a dev who tried part-time a couple od times, let me give the same advice - never get hired part-time. You never work 4hs and presto. You work more, some day 6, other day you pull full 8 to deliver what was “groomed” to be a 4h task. Anyway, you get payed a half for what is almost a fulltime job. Don’t do that!
Made the same experience when I choose to work part-time and at the free time take care of my child. You simply work more, the pressure and the expectations are the same as before but you get a lot less money.
But I agree in the statement that the productive time per day is around 4h and the rest is filled with other things.
Great post. Agree 1000% on everything and have come to a lot of similar conclusions (and wrote about them too). How are you getting consulting clients right now?
As a person who has worked in similar setup (part/full time consultancy), I agree with the author on everything here! :)
It'd be interesting to compare output of 2x 4hour developers vs 1x 8hour developers as the cost is fixed.
ps. .. and yes, working 8 hours with fixed workplace, feels more like a slavery, not a life one would choose on his own.
Absolutely Great post , Great Analysis , the era of hiring "pretend workers" that's what recruiters are looking for .