COMPRESSEDfm

Amy and James finish their discussion on freelancing in part 2. This episode covers journey maps, project discovery, vetting clients, submitting estimates and contracts, project management, finances, and business insurance.

SPONSORS

Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

Pathwire is a powerful email API and intuitive email marketing solution that delivers over 250 billion emails a year for 400,000 companies around the world.

You can sign up now and try Mailgun or Mailjet for free today. Mailjet offers a trial that allows you to send 6,000 emails per month for free, forever. Mailgun offers a 3 month trial for 5,000 emails per month after which you only pay for what you send.

For more information, simply visit Pathwire.com

Vercel

Vercel combines the best developer experience with an obsessive focus on end-user performance. Their platform enables frontend teams to do their best work. It is the best place to deploy any frontend app. Start by deploying with zero configuration to their global edge network. Scale dynamically to millions of pages without breaking a sweat.

For more information, visit Vercel.com

ZEAL is hiring!

Zeal is a computer software agency that delivers “the world’s most zealous” and custom solutions. The company plans and develops web and mobile applications that consistently help clients draw in customers, foster engagement, scale technologies, and ensure delivery.

Zeal believes that a business is “only as strong as” its team and cares about culture, values, a transparent process, leveling up, giving back, and providing excellent equipment. The company has staffers distributed throughout the United States, and as it continues to grow, Coding Zeal looks for collaborative, object-oriented, and organized individuals to apply for open roles.

For more information visit their site.

Show Notes

0:00 Intro

0:50 Sponsor: ZEAL

1:40 What we've been up to this past week

4:15 Creating a Customer Journey Map

• Design the process so that you're truly leading a client
• Outline touchpoints

6:09 Sponsor: Pathwire

7:14 Discovery Process

• Determining the work that needs to be done.

7:46 Scheduling initial phone call with Calendly

8:42 Vetting the client

• Want to make sure that the client will be good for you, too.
• Template Questionnaire

12:20 Creating Estimates and Contracts

• Estimate through Harvest - https://www.getharvest.com
• Contracts through HelloSign - https://www.hellosign.com/
• Accepting online payments and paying Stripe fees is part of the cost of doing business

13:25 Project Management System

• Basecamp
• Asana
• Teamwork
• Notion

13:52 Sending out a welcome document

• Include a handwritten note and a bag of [Ugly Mug coffee](http://uglymug.com

15:29 Managing your Finances
* Separate bank account
* [QuickBooks}(https://quickbooks.intuit.com/)
* Freshbooks

18:39 Sponsor: Vercel

19:32 Two types of expenses (1) stuff for everyday business and (2) items purchased specifically for a client

21:54 Legal Side

• LLC and why
• Other options: C Corp and S Corp

25:06 Creating Contracts

• Dan Mall's Contract from Superfriend.ly - http://agreement.superfriend.ly/

28:19 Business Insurance

29:46 Grab Bag Question #1 - How do you make yourself job-ready? When you're constantly preoccupied with an existing work schedule? @theBlackkSky

• Learn on the job
• Take advantage of free content online
• Learn in public, Twitter Hashtag #100DaysOfCode
• Learn Build Teach Discord Community

33:02 Grab Bag Question #2 - For maintenance, do you hand it off to someone else? have a grace period where you maintain it as part of your project or contract? Or offer a support plan with a retainer fee? Zach from LaunchCode

34:45 Grab Bag Question #3 - Why do coding interviews suck? - @misterhtmlcss on Discord

37:46 Amy's Pick: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

38:15 Amy's Plug: SelfTeach.me on YouTube

38:48 James's Pick: SanDisk Portable SSD

40:01 James's Plug: James Q Quick on YouTube and Learn Build Teach Discord Community

In this episode, Amy and James talk about freelancing -- finding the right clients, thoughts on Fivrr and Upwork, planning projects, scope creep, road mapping, time tracking, talking about budgets, charging, and late changes to a project.

SPONSORS

Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

Pathwire is a powerful email API and intuitive email marketing solution that delivers over 250 billion emails a year for 400,000 companies around the world.

You can sign up now and try Mailgun or Mailjet for free today. Mailjet offers a trial that allows you to send 6,000 emails per month for free, forever. Mailgun offers a 3 month trial for 5,000 emails per month after which you only pay for what you send.

For more information, simply visit Pathwire.com

Vercel

Vercel combines the best developer experience with an obsessive focus on end-user performance. Their platform enables frontend teams to do their best work. It is the best place to deploy any frontend app. Start by deploying with zero configuration to their global edge network. Scale dynamically to millions of pages without breaking a sweat.

For more information, visit Vercel.com

ZEAL is hiring!

Zeal is a computer software agency that delivers “the world’s most zealous” and custom solutions. The company plans and develops web and mobile applications that consistently help clients draw in customers, foster engagement, scale technologies, and ensure delivery.

Zeal believes that a business is “only as strong as” its team and cares about culture, values, a transparent process, leveling up, giving back, and providing excellent equipment. The company has staffers distributed throughout the United States, and as it continues to grow, Coding Zeal looks for collaborative, object-oriented, and organized individuals to apply for open roles.

For more information visit their site.

Show Notes

0:00 Introduction

0:40 Sponsor: ZEAL

3:06 Finding Clients

3:24 What are some things you do to try and find opportunities?

• Talk about what you do
• Work in Public
• Facebook Groups
• Discord Servers
• Marketing on the front end, building up to word of mouth.

6:00 Thoughts on Fivrr and Upwork

7:30 Bryan Harris "Pitching and Closing"

7:49 Planning out a Project

• Ask lots of questions
• Episode 4 - Talked about asking lots of questions

8:05 Asking what their budget is

• Benefit both sides by not wasting time

10:04 Willing to price out in phases

11:04 Ways that you can adjust the budget? What are wiggle room areas?

• Automations
• Unique Marketing Page Templates
• Memberships

12:14 Sponsor: Vercel

12:54 Creating Estimates

• Harvest for time tracking - https://www.getharvest.com/
• Toggle - https://toggl.com/
• Magic Number

15:53 Google Spreadsheet for Generating Estimates

• Join the Newsletter to receive this Sheet for Free

17:27 How do you avoid scope creep when freelancing?

• Roadmapping
• Quick Start Road Mapping: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

18:50 Sponsor: Pathwire

19:41 The importance of communication

• Sending out weekly project updates: what happened this past week, what I intend to accomplish the following week, any blockers or questions

21:11 Including a section in the contract of things NOT included

22:07 Understanding the ramifications of a change in the project

• Changing the scope of the project, typically requires more time and money
• Prioritizing one section, de-prioritizes another

22:51 Ways you can Charge a Client

23:46 Charging by the Hour

26:07 Other costs you have to take into consideration: health care, business expenses, utilities

28:54 Value-Based Pricing

• Difficulty in trying to quantify value

31:26 Charging a Project-Based Rate

33:46 Grab Bag Question #1: When do you set up your business?

35:03 Grab Bag Question #2: Project Maintenance

35:27 Picks and Plugs

35:54 James's Pick: The book, Throne of Glass

36:20 James's Plug: eBook, YouTube for Developers

36:45 Amy's Pick: Contrast App

37:15 Amy's Plug: SelfTeach.me on YouTube

In this episode, Amy and James talk about the best methods and tools for starting a new design project. Topics include asking the right questions, doing visual research, creating mood boards and wireframes, and getting all the pieces in place.

SPONSORS

Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

Pathwire is a powerful email API and intuitive email marketing solution that delivers over 250 billion emails a year for 400,000 companies around the world.

You can sign up now and try Mailgun or Mailjet for free today. Mailjet offers a trial that allows you to send 6,000 emails per month for free, forever. Mailgun offers a 3 month trial for 5,000 emails per month after which you only pay for what you send.

For more information, simply visit Pathwire.com

Vercel

Vercel combines the best developer experience with an obsessive focus on end-user performance. Their platform enables frontend teams to do their best work. It is the best place to deploy any frontend app. Start by deploying with zero configuration to their global edge network. Scale dynamically to millions of pages without breaking a sweat.

For more information, visit Vercel.com

ZEAL is hiring!

Zeal is a computer software agency that delivers “the world’s most zealous” and custom solutions. The company plans and develops web and mobile applications that consistently help clients draw in customers, foster engagement, scale technologies, and ensure delivery.

Zeal believes that a business is “only as strong as” its team and cares about culture, values, a transparent process, leveling up, giving back, and providing excellent equipment. The company has staffers distributed throughout the United States, and as it continues to grow, Coding Zeal looks for collaborative, object-oriented, and organized individuals to apply for open roles.

For more information visit their site.

Show Notes

0:00 Introduction

2:18 Ask a lot of questions

• Design can be a self-diagnosed solution
• What's the true problem?

3:47 Creating a Mood Board

• Gives visual language
• Collect pictures of everything

6:49 Surround yourself with good design

• "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."

8:58 Moving away from detrimental phrases

10:10 Sponsor: Vercel

10:55 Tools within Design

• Figma
• Sketch
• Adobe XD

13:39 Framer as a prototyping tool

15:56 Sponsor: Pathwire

16:51 Tools are a poor man's excuse

• Look at something with an opportunity mindset
• It's better to start than to waste too much time debating about which tool to use.

19:00 Starting a New Project

• Mis en Place - Getting everything in its place
• Give yourself a better starting point
• Medium post about starting the Compressed.fm design

21:10 User Testing

• Collect as much information as possible within the design phase
• Iteration is King

23:26 Sponsor: ZEAL

24:16 Grab Bag Question 1: How do you get started with wireframes?

• Pen and Paper
• Invision App
• Balsamic

25:24 Grab Bag Question 2: How do I learn the standards of web design as a whole or best practices in web design?

• Design Code
• Shift Nudge
• Designing UI

26:26 Grab Bag Question 3: What are your thoughts on Using TailwindCSS for help with design?

• Important thing is to make it your own
• Beginner Tailwind - Course by Chris Sev
• Refactoring UI

28:24 Amy's Pick - CleanShot App X

29:39 Amy's Plug - SelfTeach.me YouTube Channel

30:03 James's Pick - Rocket

30:38 James's Plug - James Q Quick on YouTube

30:46 Glyphfinder

James and Amy discuss different categories of sites and the best tools and tech stacks to reach for. Categories include brochure and marketing sites, eCommerce, Applications, and Membership sites.

SPONSORS

Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

Pathwire is a powerful email API and intuitive email marketing solution that delivers over 250 billion emails a year for 400,000 companies around the world.

You can sign up now and try Mailgun or Mailjet for free today. Mailjet offers a trial that allows you to send 6,000 emails per month for free, forever. Mailgun offers a 3 month trial for 5,000 emails per month after which you only pay for what you send.

For more information, simply visit Pathwire.com

Vercel

Vercel combines the best developer experience with an obsessive focus on end-user performance. Their platform enables frontend teams to do their best work. It is the best place to deploy any frontend app. Start by deploying with zero configuration to their global edge network. Scale dynamically to millions of pages without breaking a sweat.

For more information, visit Vercel.com

ZEAL is hiring!

Zeal is a computer software agency that delivers “the world’s most zealous” and custom solutions. The company plans and develops web and mobile applications that consistently help clients draw in customers, foster engagement, scale technologies, and ensure delivery.

Zeal believes that a business is “only as strong as” its team and cares about culture, values, a transparent process, leveling up, giving back, and providing excellent equipment. The company has staffers distributed throughout the United States, and as it continues to grow, Coding Zeal looks for collaborative, object-oriented, and organized individuals to apply for open roles.

https://www.codingzeal.com/hiring

Show Notes

0:00 Introduction

2:42 Asking a lot of questions

• What does this thing need to do? - Determine the hopes and dreams for the app o the app will be able to grow as the site grows.
• Working on an MVP
• Who's going to update it?

5:36 Jot things down on paper

• What's it going to look like?

7:23 Holotypes - fancy word for category

• A holotype gives a framework for being able to ask the right questions and know what tech to reach for.

8:34 Brochure or Marketing Sites

• Mostly informational
• Examples: restaurants, stores, moving company

9:39 eCommerce Sites

• Collecting credit card information

10:11 Membership Sites

• Managing users
• Ability to Log in
• Determining what a user can do once they've logged in
• Collecting information on your users

10:49 Difference between authentication and authorization

11:40 Difference between a web site and a web application

• Interactivity

13:00 Sponsor: Vercel

13:17 YouTube video: I don't use Create React App anymore

13:42 Technologies for Brochure and Marketing Sites

13:57 WordPress

• Powers 1/3 of the Internet
• Powers 14.7% of the top 100 websites

16:39 Webflow
* No Code Solution
* Writes and exports clean code

19:40 James's personal site is on Gatsby
* Can be difficult if you don't know GraphQL

21:01 Other options, apart from React

• Nuxt.js is the Next.js Vue equivalent
• Scully for Angular

21:26 Platforms eCommerce sites

• Easy Digital Downloads
• Stripe
• PayPal
• Shopify
• Gravity Forms
• Snip Cart
• Podia
• GumRoad

26:14 - Refactoring UI

27:17 Sponsor: Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

28:58 Membership Sites

• Compressed.fm is using Auth0 and the API folder
• Membership plugins within WordPress
• Podia has a membership component

30:05 Grab Bag Question #1: When is a good time to start freelancing?

• What is your tolerance for risk?
• Do you have a partner that can help contribute additional income or provide health benefits?
• Talk to your employer. They may be willing to negotiate.
• Talk to local stores, build a network
• Can start right away, not all or nothing.

33:15 Grab Bag Question #2: What are your thoughts on not code tools for developers?

• No code tools will not put developers out of work. They will just enable developers to focus on more interesting problems.
• Conversation around no code should be a safe space.

35:53 Sponsor: ZEAL

36:46 Amy's Pick: Roost Stand
Perfect laptop stand for mobile or remote working.

37:23 Amy's Plug: SelfTeach.me on YouTube channel

• Series on SVGs
• Getting ready to release a series on building the custom audio player, used on the Compressed.fm site.

37:42 James's Pick: BenQ Light

• Helps with eye fatigue

38:20 James's Plug #1: The Learn Build Teach Discord Community (free)

38:42 James's Pick: James Q Quick on YouTube Channel

Amy and James walk through the tech behind Compressed.fm and some of the unique challenges they faced when building the site.

SPONSORS

Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

Pathwire is a powerful email API and intuitive email marketing solution that delivers over 250 billion emails a year for 400,000 companies around the world.

You can sign up now and try Mailgun or Mailjet for free today. Mailjet offers a trial that allows you to send 6,000 emails per month for free, forever. Mailgun offers a 3 month trial for 5,000 emails per month after which you only pay for what you send.

For more information, simply visit Pathwire.com

Vercel

Vercel combines the best developer experience with an obsessive focus on end-user performance. Their platform enables frontend teams to do their best work. It is the best place to deploy any frontend app. Start by deploying with zero configuration to their global edge network. Scale dynamically to millions of pages without breaking a sweat.

For more information, visit Vercel.com

ZEAL is hiring!

Zeal is a computer software agency that delivers “the world’s most zealous” and custom solutions. The company plans and develops web and mobile applications that consistently help clients draw in customers, foster engagement, scale technologies, and ensure delivery.

Zeal believes that a business is “only as strong as” its team and cares about culture, values, a transparent process, leveling up, giving back, and providing excellent equipment. The company has staffers distributed throughout the United States, and as it continues to grow, Coding Zeal looks for collaborative, object-oriented, and organized individuals to apply for open roles.

For more information visit their site.

Show Notes

0:00 Introduction
2:53 Powering the backend: Sanity.io
3:22 The difference between client-side and server-side rendering
5:50 Sanity's differentiator: Portable Text
8:35 Sponsor: Vercel
9:13 Finding a challenge in every project
11:14 Working with Framer Motion
13:26 Animating a hamburger menu with 2 CSS Properties
13:33 YouTube video explaining animating the hamburger animation
14:29 Josh Comeau
14:43 Authentication with Auth0
17:59 Experience with Next-Auth
18:54 Sponsor: Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet
20:00 Custom Audio Player
22:45 CSS Tricks article: Let’s Create a Custom Audio Player
24:31 Big Automation Kick
25:03 Sponsor: ZEAL
25:55 James's Discord: Learn Build Teach
26:06 Grab Bag Question #1: What's the best way to set up SEO metadata in Next.js?
26:40 React Helmet
27:02 Compressed.fm Source Code on GitHub
27:47 Grab Bag Question #2: Have you ever had an issue with Tailwind normalizing or overriding the text coming from Sanity?
29:05 SelfTeach.me Source Code on GitHub
29:36 Grab Bag Question #3: Where are you storing access tokens in Next.js apps?
31:00 James's Pick: [Webcam Swivel Arm ($20 on Amazon)](https://amzn.to/3tlY0EW
31:51 James's Plug: Learn Build Teach Discord Server
32:01 James's Plug: His YouTube Channel
32:17 Amy's Pick - Gravel Gravel Blanket
33:20 Big Blanket Co
34:00 Amy's Plug - SelfTeach.me on YouTube

Amy Dutton shares how she got started in tech by building the original Giphy over 20 years ago. She talks about how she navigated some of her career decisions, ultimately landing a full-time job after seven years of doing freelance full-time.

SPONSORS

Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

Pathwire is a powerful email API and intuitive email marketing solution that delivers over 250 billion emails a year for 400,000 companies around the world.

You can sign up now and try Mailgun or Mailjet for free today. Mailjet offers a trial that allows you to send 6,000 emails per month for free, forever. Mailgun offers a 3 month trial for 5,000 emails per month after which you only pay for what you send.

For more information, simply visit Pathwire.com

Vercel

Vercel combines the best developer experience with an obsessive focus on end-user performance. Their platform enables frontend teams to do their best work. It is the best place to deploy any frontend app. Start by deploying with zero configuration to their global edge network. Scale dynamically to millions of pages without breaking a sweat.

For more information, visit Vercel.com

ZEAL is hiring!

Zeal is a computer software agency that delivers “the world’s most zealous” and custom solutions. The company plans and develops web and mobile applications that consistently help clients draw in customers, foster engagement, scale technologies, and ensure delivery.

Zeal believes that a business is “only as strong as” its team and cares about culture, values, a transparent process, leveling up, giving back, and providing excellent equipment. The company has staffers distributed throughout the United States, and as it continues to grow, Coding Zeal looks for collaborative, object-oriented, and organized individuals to apply for open roles.

For more information visit their site.

Show Notes

0:00 Introduction
0:57 Family of Early Adopters
1:34 Building My First Website in Netscape Navigator Tools
2:49 First Real Job Updating a Website
4:23 Finding a Mentor
6:00 Teaching my High School Computer Class
7:05 Sponsor: Pathwire, Mailgun, and Mailjet
8:14 Working as a Production Artist
10:34 Studying in college
12:08 Getting a degree? Going to a Bootcamp? Teaching yourself?
13:12 Your background and experiences mean something
13:56 Working summer camp as a video producer
15:21 Brief experience with Animation Mentor
16:31 Sponsor: Vercel
17:12 Taking a job on Music Row
18:21 Moving into a Design Role
19:20 Going freelance full-time
20:33 Transitioning back into a full-time job
21:20 Sponsor: ZEAL
22:01 Amy Guesting on James's Twitch Stream
22:12 The Pros and Cons of Freelancing
23:06 Advice for making Job transitions
23:21 Grab Bag Questions #1: What is you favorite design for web apps and why?
27:27 Grab Bag Question #2: Is there a moment when you almost quit? What made you push through?
28:53 Amy's Pick: Tile
29:43 Amy's Plug: SelfTeach.me on YouTube
31:02 Simon Høiberg on Twitter
31:04 James's Pick: FeedHive
31:59 James's Plug: James Q Quick on YouTube
32:15 Conclusion

James Q Quick shares how he got his start in tech and how a couple of job interview rejections turned into a bigger opportunity and ultimately a career path as an evangelist, speaker, and teacher.

SPONSORS

Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet

Pathwire is a powerful email API and intuitive email marketing solution that delivers over 250 billion emails a year for 400,000 companies around the world.

You can sign up now and try Mailgun or Mailjet for free today. Mailjet offers a trial that allows you to send 6,000 emails per month for free, forever. Mailgun offers a 3 month trial for 5,000 emails per month after which you only pay for what you send.

For more information, simply visit Pathwire.com

Vercel

Vercel combines the best developer experience with an obsessive focus on end-user performance. Their platform enables frontend teams to do their best work. It is the best place to deploy any frontend app. Start by deploying with zero configuration to their global edge network. Scale dynamically to millions of pages without breaking a sweat.

For more information, visit Vercel.com

ZEAL is hiring!

Zeal is a computer software agency that delivers “the world’s most zealous” and custom solutions. The company plans and develops web and mobile applications that consistently help clients draw in customers, foster engagement, scale technologies, and ensure delivery.

Zeal believes that a business is “only as strong as” its team and cares about culture, values, a transparent process, leveling up, giving back, and providing excellent equipment. The company has staffers distributed throughout the United States, and as it continues to grow, Coding Zeal looks for collaborative, object-oriented, and organized individuals to apply for open roles.

For more information visit their site.

Show Notes

0:00 Introduction
0:54 Missed Opportunity in High School
1:24 Majoring in Computer Science
1:59 Building your First Mobile Application
5:42 First Technical Interview
7:55 Sponsor: Vercel / Next.js
8:58 Getting into JavaScript
9:14 Applying for Jobs
9:53 Technical Evangelist at Microsoft
10:41 Moving back to Memphis
10:57 Developer Bootcamp by Colt Steele on uDemy
11:42 Decisions and Setting the Trajectory of Your Life
14:07 Getting into Content Creation
16:23 Working at FedEx
17:27 Transitioning into Auth0
17:53 The Easiest Part about Content Creation
19:09 Learning Right Now
20:22 Automating Everything
21:45 Sponsor: Pathwire / Mailgun / Mailjet
22:37 Grab Bag, Question #1: How do you start a career in tech?
24:57 Grab Bag, Question #2: Is there a moment where you almost quit? What made you push through?
27:35 Sponsor: ZEAL
28:22 James's Picks: Testimonial.to
29:33 James's Plug: [James's YouTube Channel(http://youtube.com/c/jamesqquick)
29:38 James's Weekly newsletter
29:58 Amy's Pick: Descript
31:08 Amy's Plugin: SelfTeach.me YouTube Channel
31:56 Conclusion