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Comment by philbarr | Hacker News Reader

For options #2 and #3, how do you go about getting your very first client? I can imagine the dialogue when you've done a few projects and you've got a portfolio and perhaps references, but how do you get the very first person when you're just "some bloke who thinks he knows how to write software." ?

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Cold call. Cold talk. Networking events. Developer meetups. It's honestly so easy. Handout business cards, have a decent site with a portfolio + some sort of automated contact form, maybe even an automated quote generator. Have one buddy do all the networking and bring you clients, you do the work, make money, reinvest in remote employees, keep doing this, get an office, hire some in person staff and boom, you have a consultancy.

You make it sounds super easy. Do you have your own consultancy?

I'm working on it. I quit my job and have a few friends working for me. Working on getting a front facing website out now.

Nice work. Are you profitable?

I have a few contracts for about 50k yeah. Want to work together? What do you do? Email me: m [at] (e|v|e|o) [dawt] ~(o|r|g)~ (sorry spam bots are getting ridiculous).

A couple options:

- Work as a fulltime employee doing the same type of work you want to be paid to do as a consultant. It's a legitimate way to get the kind of experience you want to sell.

- Be your own first client. Build something that interests you, and sell that experience.

And one of the best resources: from industry connections that you worked with before, then have moved on to other projects. If they hear of a project need that fits your skill set, and you've been getting coffee with them at least 2 times a year, they'll probably call you first.

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