Why I Started a Blog as a Freelance Software Engineer
Working as a freelance software engineer during the golden era of IT, before the 2022 layoffs started, there wasn't a real need for me to have an online presence or a blog. The recruiters on Linkedin and developer networks like Toptal did most of the work finding projects and providing high-quality clients if you had the expertise to match it.
Nowadays, it seems the industry is still crawling itself out of the crisis and everyone is still finding their footing. On one side you have a seeming surplus of IT specialists that are looking for work, taking any job they can, and clients that are smartly taking advantage of the market to make their software for cheaper. Agencies are still scrambling and taking projects they wouldn't have taken before, and nobody is hiring juniors! It's a mess.
I'll explain why I don't think there's a real surplus of skilled software engineers in a future blog post, so subscribe to be notified!
I realized I made a mistake of being complacent and thinking that things don't change and that the good times will never end. I was in a golden cage with no real motivation to make any change to what was apparently working well enough. Now that the lesson is learned, I decided that it's time to not repeat the same mistake and be prepared, at least a little bit, for the next tectonic shift in the industry.
Therefore, I think a blog is a step in that direction and it will complement what I already do, which is solving software engineering challenges. Here are the main reasons why I started this journey:
1. Showcasing Expertise
There are numeours projects that I worked on that never saw the light of day. It's an unfortunate reality of working in software where most projects fail for multiple reasons. Some of my corporate clients simply killed their projects after years of work, without much explanation, other clients tend to run into budget issues or simply shift priorities. Therefore, I need a place to showcase my work as most commercial projects I worked on never saw the light of day.
My hope is that showcasing interesting solutions to interesting problems, exploring new technologies, and building things in public might demonstrate my expertise, might teach people, and might spark some new opportunities.
2. Building a Personal Brand
Being a software contractor is very competitive and having a voice might be a differentiating factor. Instead of being a no-name software guy, it's obviously much more better to be the persona for a certain topic, which in my case is mobile app development. It allows me to share not just my work but my unique perspective and experience.
3. Connecting with the Community
The software engineering community thrives on shared knowledge. I've also learned a lot by interacting with people reading my posts, and discussing different approaches in the comments. People online tend to be very honest so it's also a great source of feedback. There is always something new that you can learn from others, or at least see things from their perspective. It's crucial to listen.
4. Learning Through Teaching
I am a very firm believer of the saying that you don't understand something unless you can explain it to a child. A blog will give my understanding of what I know to the test. This is a learning opportunity for me as well as for the reader. I have tons to share over my decade+ long career and my hope is that it might be useful to somebody somewhere.
5. Improving Communication Skills
I have written and talking dyslexia, and although it's not that severe most of the time, sometimes I can't talk normally and have to take a mental break. I hope that writing and focusing on how I express myself will help with that, and in general improve the way I convey information.
6. Creating a Portfolio of Work
As to not repeat the mistakes of the past, I hope in the next decade this will be a great place to review all that I did for various clients. Instead of having a list of unreleased projects under NDA, I might at least have shared my thoughts.
7. Opening New Opportunities
I am putting myself out there to see what happens. There might be new opportunities, there might not be. However, it won't hurt having a place to share thoughts and making easier for opportunities to find me.
8. Personal Fulfillment
Lastly, I found that blogging is deeply rewarding. It’s a creative outlet that allows me to reflect on the journey, document the achievements, and share deeper thoughts that I usually share in my circle of friends.
Even after over a decade I still feel the passion for software, although a lot of my colleagues are burnt out and are attempting to leave the industry. I do understand why they burn out, but I found that doing things outside your day-to-day programming is what rekindles the flame. These are the kind of things I am most excited to share, and there is plenty to come. I hope you will like it too!
Thanks for reading!