Yes. Assuming that you can actually find clients and that those clients don’t have policies against hiring contractors directly (a lot of the big ones do). Those seem like low barriers to entry but the majority of developers don’t meet them (I used to be one, and most of my friend circle still is), much as LinkedIn would have us believe otherwise.
Solutions for individuals tend not to work for large groups (I got lucky, you might just be that good). These changes point to a systemic shift which could work out for the better but I really don’t think it will.
The truth is, except for niche requirements and expertise, one US engineer is not as good as 4 Eastern European devs (and I could get you those for the same price while making a hefty margin). Only the best are needed, the rest are competing in a market that doesn’t even cover their living expenses, and they can’t even negotiate as hard because they don’t have as many local jobs as alternatives. Moving down the value chain is never a good sign. Eventually you capture less profit no matter how you slice it.
Yes. Assuming that you can actually find clients and that those clients don’t have policies against hiring contractors directly (a lot of the big ones do). Those seem like low barriers to entry but the majority of developers don’t meet them (I used to be one, and most of my friend circle still is), much as LinkedIn would have us believe otherwise.
Solutions for individuals tend not to work for large groups (I got lucky, you might just be that good). These changes point to a systemic shift which could work out for the better but I really don’t think it will.
The truth is, except for niche requirements and expertise, one US engineer is not as good as 4 Eastern European devs (and I could get you those for the same price while making a hefty margin). Only the best are needed, the rest are competing in a market that doesn’t even cover their living expenses, and they can’t even negotiate as hard because they don’t have as many local jobs as alternatives. Moving down the value chain is never a good sign. Eventually you capture less profit no matter how you slice it.