Are you an underpaid developer?

Sherman LeeEmail: sherman@goodsense.io

Twitter: @SHERM8NBlog: http://blog.goodsense.io

Email me - sherman@goodsense.io

❖ Introduce yourself❖ Where do you work?❖ Why are you interested in this talk?❖ I’ll respond to every single one of you

Leave a business card!

Who is this dude?

❖ Sherman Lee - Berkeley CS❖ Corporate job for 6 years❖ Jumped into startups❖ Drained savings and built credit card debt❖ Turned it all around

❖ Freelance development❖ Consulting❖ Productized consulting services❖ Products and startups❖ Multiple streams of income

The Process to Change Your Life

❖ Get your feet wet in becoming independent❖ Finding projects❖ Selling and marketing yourself❖ Understanding business needs❖ Pricing and contracts

Freelance Development

❖ Business partner versus slave developer❖ Solve business problems❖ Specialized service

Consulting

❖ Repeatable parts of your engagements❖ Charge monthly for it❖ Easy for you and it may be automated❖ http://draft.nu/revise

Productized Consulting Services

❖ Find a personal problem or need❖ Develop a hypothesis❖ Finding your audience❖ Ask them to pay❖ Listen to your audience❖ Take that audience and make your own❖ Build the product

Products and Startups

❖ If you have a problem or need others do too❖ I have 97 t-shirts and spent $2,194

Find a personal problem or need

❖ What are you trying to find out?❖ For me, if teenagers would buy t-shirts.

Develop a Hypothesis

❖ The audience you want to sell to already exists somewhere

❖ I found mine on Wanelo

Finding your audience

❖ Collecting money is idea validation❖ Product doesn’t need to exist❖ I didn’t print t-shirts first

Ask Them to Pay For Your Product

❖ First sale within 24 hours of idea

Ask Them to Pay For Your Product

❖ They will tell you exactly what they want❖ Give it to them!

Listen to Your Audience

❖ Another case with similar design❖ Results even better

Listen to Your Audience

❖ Look for existing audiences❖ Easier than from scratch❖ Get them to follow you on Twitter, Tumblr,

etc.❖ Capture their email

Take Audience and Make Your Own

❖ Having an audience is when you build❖ Paying customers❖ Idea validated

Build the Product

❖ Hardest part❖ No audience means nobody to sell to❖ Blogging, Social Media, SEO

Build the Audience

❖ Builds a fan base for shop owners, sellers, artists and designers

❖ http://audience.goodsense.io

Good Audience (my startup)

❖ Solved own problem❖ 2 big sellers in LA/SF❖ In Urban Outfitters

Good Audience (my startup)

❖ Freelancing❖ Consulting❖ Products❖ No need to depend on one

Multiple Streams of Income

Contact

Email: sherman@goodsense.ioTwitter: @SHERM8NBlog: http://blog.goodsense.io