[neals]

It fails when you want it to. Let te me tell you my situation:

Some of my projects have been getting a beating lately. One of my sales reps. just went missing. Just gone. For 4 weeks now. Together will a kinds of random stuff that makes me feel like this house of cards is coming apart. But I still believe in the product. We have clients and there are still ways to go.

I've put it all on hold for 3 months to do some contracting and cash-up, than it's back to trade shows and sales.

But I also think that having a startup is a luxery and (more and more) a marketing term that comes from the investent people. "Do a startup" and you can ask people to work 60 hour weeks. "Build me this product" and that same amount of work will cost you way more money and time.

I have been so blindly running my own products ("Startups") for 6 years, until 2 weeks ago I realized that contracting myself as a developer makes me 21k a month. I had no idea it was like that, I hadn't checked what all my newly gained knowledge has meant for my rates.

So what does it mean to you? If it is making you depressed, maybe don't do it? With SO MANY startups right now, it's very unlikely that you will make more money from it than from contracting. So are you in it because of your passion? Or to make money? Ask yourself these questions.

[kdamken]

21k month? That sounds crazy (and amazing) to me as new frontend dev. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of development are you doing and how many hours are you working a month to make that amount? Might help me decide what to learn next : )

[infinite8s]

Assuming 70% utilization, you can make about 20k a month billing at $150/hr (or 5k/week).

[allannienhuis]

and assuming 100% utilization you can make about 172k a month billing at $1000/hr...

You can plug in whatever numbers you like into any formula you like, but it doesn't help most developers earn more.

The reality is that most devs can't charge those rates and get significant amounts of work, because they don't have the required skills / experience / reputation, etc needed to distinguish themselves from the competition and attract clients that are willing to pay those rates. Obviously in some geographies it's easier than others because of supply/demand forces, but the vast majority of developers can't do this easily.

I think the real question being asked in most cases when people ask how it's possible to earn incomes like that, is what can they do to be ABLE to earn those types of rates. More helpful answers would be advice on what niches pay well and are in high demand, how to market themselves, etc.