tutorial – Page 61 – Sick Gaming

Posted on October 13, 2020 by — Leave a comment

5 Binge-Worthy Freelance Developing Blogs Every Coder Must Read

With increasing supply of freelancing platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal in the programming industry, more and more companies decide to hire expertise remotely over the Internet. The demand for freelance developers in Python, web development, machine learning, and data science surges—as can be seen by the double-digit growth rates of all of those platforms.

Freelancing is the new way of organizing the world’s talents in the 21st century. To some people, this trend “threatens” their existing job safety. Others believe it’ll help creating a more meaningful working relationship based on respect and value. No matter what you think, you want to belong to the winners of this mega trend, don’t you?

This article shows you the 5 best blogs that teach you how to thrive in this new work environment for decades to come. We selected only blogs that focused on two topics: coding AND freelancing/business. If a blog focuses on only coding or only freelancing, we excluded it from the list.

Here’s a quick overview:

Let’s dive into the top five blogs about freelance developing.

#1 Finxter Blog — Create Your Thriving Coding Business Online

The Finxter blog is the world’s largest blog on Python freelancing. In addition to that, it provides plenty of valuable articles, videos, and business strategies for all kinds of freelancers and freelance developers.

The idea is to help you reach six-figure earning potential, which is the average income of a Python freelancer in the US, via 100% remote work on freelancing platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr.

You can watch the Python freelancing webinar to see how this works out for the author of this article.

Top blog articles about freelance developing:

All links to those blog articles open a new tab, so go ahead and read the tutorials that interest you most!

Link: https://blog.finxter.com/blog/

#2 Study Web Development

“We help web developers launch and grow their freelancing business.” This is the slogan of the Study Web Development blog. You can see their focus clearly: web developers and freelancing business.

If you’re a web developer, this blog is definitely of interest to you. Traditionally, most freelancing jobs appeared in the web development industry. However, this is rapidly changing. Due to the surge of machine learning and data science, a larger proportion of better-paid professionals sell their Python rather than their web development skills.

Top blog articles about freelance developing:

Overall, the number of blog articles about freelancing is much smaller than the number of articles at the Finxter blog. However, the ones that are there are interesting reads—check them out!

Link: https://studywebdevelopment.com/blog.html

#3 Upwork Blog – Developers Area

Upwork is the biggest freelancing platform on the planet. Connecting millions of clients with freelancers, they know a thing or two about how to become a successful freelance developer.

The blog is quite general, with lots of tips for non-developers as well—so, it doesn’t strictly fit our requirement of being focused only on freelancing AND coding. However, if you search for the keyword “developing” on the blog, you’ll find countless of resources specifically tailored towards freelancing as a programmer.

Here are some of the best articles on the Upwork blog for freelance developers:

However, be careful—this blog is mainly focused on bringing you to the Upwork platform. I wouldn’t recommend this resource if this wouldn’t align with my recommendation in 2020. Upwork is a very attractive freelancing market for clients and freelancers alike.

Link: https://www.upwork.com/blog/?s=developing

#4 CareerFoundry Blog

This recommendation is a bit off topic. There are many resources on freelance web developing and remote work as a programmer. However, there are also many resources for employed programmers. Thus, the blog’s sentiment is kind of neutral against the freelance developing opportunity.

These are some interesting articles about freelance developing though:

Link: https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/

#5 Treamhouse Blog

This blog contains some excellent resources for Python freelancers—written by an internationally renowned expert in the field. Highly recommended!

Here are some great blog articles:

Link: https://blog.teamtreehouse.com/

About Freelance Developing Blogs

There are other blogs about only freelancing and only developing. In this article, we focused on the blogs that addressed both topics. If you want to become an expert, and you have a coding background, you should focus mainly on the business side of things. Business skills such as marketing, selling, positioning, negotiating, and accounting are much more important than coding skills on your road to freelance developing success.

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

To become successful in coding, you need to get out there and solve real problems for real people. That’s how you can become a six-figure earner easily. And that’s how you polish the skills you really need in practice. After all, what’s the use of learning theory that nobody ever needs?

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

Join the free webinar now!

The post 5 Binge-Worthy Freelance Developing Blogs Every Coder Must Read first appeared on Finxter.

Posted on October 12, 2020 by — Leave a comment

9 Freelance Developer Books Every Coder Must Read

Freelancing is the new mega trend of our time. Large freelancing platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr grow double-digit—they’re out to disrupt the organization of the world’s talents. And it seems like they’re succeeding!

Do you want to participate in this trend rather than only holding on to your cozy developer job as long as you can? Between you and your freelance developing success is only one thing: education.

This article shows you how to accelerate your career as a freelance developer by presenting you the best freelance developer books on the market. Reading books is among the highest-ROI activity you can do as a self-employed full-time or part-time freelance developer.

So, here’s an overview of the 9 best freelance developer books every coder must read!

Read all of them and nothing can stop you!

Let’s dive into the books one by one!

#1 Leaving the Rat Race with Python

Is There a Six-Figure Freelance Developer in You?

Leaving the Rat Race with Python shows you how to nurture, grow, and harness your work-from-home coding business online — and live the good life!

It’s an insider’s guide to freelance developing. Start your new thriving coding business now!

Do you want to learn about becoming a Python freelancer and start your thriving coding business online?
Do you want to regain control of your life?
Are you committed to succeeding in life and business?

This practical how-to book will help you nurture, grow, and harness your new online coding business plant—even if you’ve got little or no experience as a programmer and business owner.

Link: https://amzn.to/2Re2JqO

#2 The Software Engineer’s Guide to Freelance Consulting

“The Software Engineer’s Guide to Freelance Consulting will help teach you to be an effective freelance software consultant, which will enable you make more money, dedicate more time to hobbies, spend more time with your loved-ones and even discover new businesses.”

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Software-Engineers-Guide-Freelance-Consulting/dp/1521163685

#3 Freelance Newbie

“Are you ready to jump-start your freelance career? Freelance Newbie has you covered! In this book, you’ll learn practical, actionable steps you can start using today to get your first client by the end of the week. Featuring all the methods, techniques, tips, tricks, and insights you need to succeed, Freelance Newbie was written by a working freelancer whose mission is to help people like you find personal success and financial independence. The material you’ll read here has never been featured at a lower price — you simply cannot get this kind of value for less. We go through everything step-by-step with real-world examples so you know exactly what you need to do to become a successful freelancer.”

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Freelance-Newbie-Beginners-Building-Development/dp/1794331328/

#4 Stop Thinking Like a Freelancer: The Evolution of a $1m Web Designer

“This book dives deep on making freelancing more stable, beating “treading water” cycles, repelling ‘bad apple’ clients, multiplying online exposure and follows the journey of Liam, with honest, clear advice and guidance from laptop and rented desk to $1m web agency.”

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Thinking-Like-Freelancer-Evolution/dp/1503273148/

#5 Running A Web Design Business From Home: How To Find and Keep Good Clients and Make Money with Your Home Business

“Working for a design company? Freelancing? Under-utilised, unappreciated or uninspired? Do you want to break free from employment and run your own business, call the shots, and be your own boss? This is the book for you.”

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Running-Web-Design-Business-Home/dp/1494366282/

#6 Secrets to Scale a Highly Profitable Web Design Business

“Done right, a web design business can be an excellent way to create a main source of income. The problem many face is getting enough clients to provide that income without giving up everything else in life to support their business.Whether you’re thinking about doing web design on the side or you have an established business, this book is for you. You’ll learn easy-to-implement strategies to set up your business for success. Web design is a fun, profitable and fulfilling business you can do anywhere with an internet connection. But for many it can be a roller coaster ride of feast or famine, wondering when they’re going to get their next client. Or having so many projects to juggle that they feel overwhelmed. What many web designers take for granted is learning how to take the art and skill of web design and turn it into a profitable business. That’s what Secrets to Scale will show you.Learn how to take the art and skill of web design and turn it into a profitable business—one that doesn’t make you extremely stressed.”

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Highly-Profitable-Design-Business/dp/1974698688/

#7 Rework

“Most business books give you the same old advice: Write a business plan, study the competition, seek investors, yadda yadda. If you’re looking for a book like that, put this one back on the shelf.”

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Rework-Jason-Fried/dp/0307463745/

#8 Value-Based Fees: How to Charge – and Get – What You’re Worth

“In this thoroughly revised edition of his classic book, Alan Weiss shows how consulting fees are dependent on only two things: value provided in the perception of the buyer and the intent of the buyer and the consultant to act ethically. Many consultants, however, fail to understand that perceived value is the basis of the fee, or that they must translate the importance of their advice into long-term gains for the client in the client’s perception. Still others fail to have the courage and the belief system that support the high value delivered to clients, thereby reducing fees to a level commensurate with the consultant’s own low self-esteem. Ultimately, says Weiss, consultants, not clients, are the main cause of low consulting fees.”

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Value-Based-Fees-Charge-Youre-Worth/dp/0470275847/

#9 How to be a Freelance Software Developer: Being Intentional in Being Solo

“Many developers would love to go solo and be their own boss. Being self-un-employed can be great, but it’s not easy. Bear Cahill has been a professional software developer at companies since 1990 and freelance since 2008. He has learned vital lessons, many the hard way, and has shared them in this book. Learn great practices about how to manage clients, watch for red flags and thoughts on invoicing practices. Though Bear’s insight you’ll see way a bad client is worse than no client. You’ll have a better picture of what to charge a client – one of the key things that makes it hard for many developers to stay freelance. The wisdom and knowledge it takes to stay solo for the long-term doesn’t come easy. To find so many valuable lessons in one place is rare. If you desire to be on your own, be your own boss and control your destiny, this book is for you. While developers are smart, motivated people, that isn’t all that it takes. You need to understand the dynamics of being freelance, how to deal with clients, how to manage the business, sales… and everything else. Are you good with people? Are you social? Do you balance your time, relationships, priorities and budget well? Do you have a passion for development but not able to wear the hats necessary? This book will help show you the things to consider both in concept and concretely in navigating the waters alone.”

Link: https://www.amazon.com/How-Freelance-Software-Developer-Intentional/dp/1549949748/

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

Join the free webinar now!

The post 9 Freelance Developer Books Every Coder Must Read first appeared on Finxter.

Posted on October 11, 2020 by — Leave a comment

Top 11 Freelance Developer Courses for Maximum Success

Freelancing is the new mega trend. And there’s a good reason: more and more companies see the cost benefits of hiring outside expertise by the hour. Much like cloud computing revolutionized the server market, freelancing disrupts the talent market with a pay-as-you go model for businesses. The big benefits for freelance developers are convincing as well: higher pay, more flexibility and freedom, and an increased sense of purpose and learning.

Do you want to become a freelance developer? Joining a freelancing program from someone who’s already been there and done that will save you months, if not years of trial and error and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars of money you could have earned but haven’t due to a lack of business expertise.

Here’s a quick overview of the courses addressed in this article:

Let’s dive into the courses! We used some of the verbatim course information to compile the table of contents and the general course value propositions. This helps you differentiate the courses and choose the one that fits your needs best!

#1 Six-Figure Python Freelancer Course: Build Your Thriving Coding Business Online

The industry-leading freelance developer course that’s most comprehensive is the only course that guarantees success: the FINXTER Python Freelancer Course.

What you’ll learn

The course is structured as a step-by-step guide to push you from $0 per month to six-figure earning potential. The targeted earnings are given in parentheses:

Get Started with This Course
Get an Overview of Python Freelancing
Improve Your Coding Skills – and Complete This 5-Step Python Crash Course ($0 – $1,000)
Gain Experience and Start Earning Money as a Python Freelancer ($1,000 – $2,000)
Create More Value for Your Clients ($2,000 – $4,000)
[Fiverr Gig] Practical CAD Project with Lukas ($4000-$5000)
Freelancer Student Adam’s Upwork Journey From $0 to $100 per Hour
Boost Your General Code Understanding – 50 Practical Python Puzzles ($5,000 – $6,000)
Beyond: Get the Right DNA for Your Coding Business – and Reach the Next Level ($6,000 – $10,000)

** JOIN FINXTER PYTHON FREELANCER COURSE **

If you want to find the best Python freelancer course, look no further.

Link: https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/

#2 How to Thrive as a Freelance Developer?

What you’ll learn

How to Create Your Freelancing Side-Income
How to Increase Your Hourly Rate
How to Find More Clients
How to Scale Your Business
How to Add Passive to Your Active Income
How to Structure Your Time for Success
Where to Focus Your Energy
How to Thrive on Upwork
How to Thrive on Fiverr
What are the Best Freelancing Platforms

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/freelance-developer/

#3 Becoming a Freelance Web Developer – The Complete Guide

Learn actionable steps for launching a successful career as a freelance web developer from an experienced professional

What you’ll learn

The definitive skills needed to become a web developer
How find your very first clients
The right way to manage and charge clients
Key mistakes to avoid when dealing with your clients
The most important questions to ask a potential client before deciding whether or not to take the project
How I break down a web development project
The tools and applications I use for my web development business
The basics of making money as an affiliate marketer selling web products
and so much more

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/launch-and-grow-your-career-as-a-successful-web-developer/

#4 Start Your Freelancing Career as a Designer and Developer

Build a solid Freelancing career by avoiding Freelance mistakes and learn about creating perfect Proposals & Job letters

What you’ll learn:

Learn about Freelance Pricing Strategies
Become more productive in what you do
Build confidence in your work
Learn how to Deal with different types of clients
Which types of clients pay more and which clients to avoid
Use of Online project and design collaboration tools
Learn to use Invoicing and Payment apps
How to write effective job applications
How to craft professional Project Proposal
Cheats to bypass problems of Freelancing Websites

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-freelane-for-designers-developers/

#5 The Freelance Web Developer Course

Learn how to create top quality websites, monetize your work and become a top notch freelancer, all inside this course!

What you’ll learn:

Create top quality websites in no time and sell them to clients
Create fixed monthly revenue contracts with clients
Make your first freelancer contract in your first month
Learn Front-End Development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Bootstrap
Start your own freelancing online business
Start and improve your career as a top quality freelancer

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/the-freelance-developer-course/

#6 How to Start a Freelance Web Developer Business from Scratch

An online course for web designers & developers who are ready to start their business as a work-from-home freelancer

What you’ll learn:

Embrace the mindset of an entrepreneur (not an employee)
Workshop your freelance niche (should you specialize or generalize?)
Discover the biggest pains of your target client
How to solve a big problem with your services (not scratch an itch)
The specific skills required to succeed (and the one’s you should stop doing)
Craft an irresistible offer (that your client’s will love)
Gaining competitive edge in an oversaturated freelance market
Capture consistent leads that want to book you
How to always be marketing your business (without burning out)
How to land your first (or next) paid client
Build a clear strategy for continued success

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/start-freelancing/

#7 Freelance Newbie Web Development

A beginner’s guide to finding clients, making money & building your web development empire as a freelance web developer

What you’ll learn:

Find high-quality clients…and keep them coming back!
Establish a price structure for your services
Draft successful, money-making proposals and contracts
Effectively market yourself for FREE
Build the components of a successful freelance website
Professionally engage with clients
Develop an efficient workflow (from designing to deploying)
Write a business plan that works for YOU
And much, much more

Link: https://realtoughcandy.teachable.com/p/freelance-newbie-become-a-freelance-web-developer

#8 Full-Stack Web Development Program

Become a web developer in under 7 months!

What you’ll learn:

Learn all of the skills, tools, and processes necessary to become a web developer
Work with a Mentor who has over 5 years of industry experience and a Tutor for your day-to-day feedback
Receive tailored coaching from our Career Services team to ensure you stand out at interviews
Build an impressive portfolio out of the real-world projects you complete on the program
Land a job as a web developer within 180 days of graduating from the program—or your money back

Link: https://careerfoundry.com/en/courses/become-a-web-developer/

#9 Freelance Bootcamp – The Comprehensive Guide to Freelancing

Learn how to build a profitable freelance business completely from scratch and gain the tools needed to succeed.

What you’ll learn:

Build a freelance business completely from scratch, including: acquiring clients, building a portfolio, and managing projects.

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/freelance-bootcamp-comprehensive-guide-to-freelancing/

#10 Seth Godin’s Freelancer Course

Become Remarkable, Find Better Clients, and Do Work That Matters

What you’ll learn:

Master how to make your work unique, create a well-known brand, find clients, and increase demand for your products or services
Understand what it takes to be more than the average freelancer
Turn professional and make a commitment to finding better clients and doing better work

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/seth-godin-freelancer-course/

#11 How to Dominate Freelancing on Upwork

Win the jobs you want, and earn big on freelance websites

What you’ll learn:

Account Setup
Your Profile
Key Success Factors
Your First Jobs
The Money: Earnings, Upwork fees
Picking the Right Jobs
Jobs to Avoid
Proposals
First Meeting
Presentation
Winning the Job
Starting Work
Success Rates
Next Level Success

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/freelancing-jobs/

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

Join the free webinar now!

The post Top 11 Freelance Developer Courses for Maximum Success first appeared on Finxter.

Posted on October 10, 2020 by — Leave a comment

Python IndentationError: unexpected indent (How to Fix This Stupid Bug)

If you’re like me, you try things first in your code and fix the bugs as they come. One frequent bug in Python is the IndentationError: unexpected indent. So, what does this error message mean?

The error IndentationError: unexpected indent arises if you use inconsistent indentation of tabs or whitespaces for indented code blocks such as the if block and the for loop. For example, Python will throw an indentation error, if you use a for loop with three whitespace characters indentation for the first line, and one tab character indentation of the second line of the loop body. To fix the error, use the same number of empty whitespaces for all indented code blocks.

Python Indentation Error Message Screenshot

Let’s have a look at an example where this error arises:

for i in range(10): print(i) print('--')

The first line in the loop body uses two whitespaces as indentation level. The second line in the loop body uses three whitespace characters as indentation level. Thus, the indentation blocks are different for different lines of the same block. However, Python expects that all indented lines have structurally the same indentation.

How to Fix Python’s Indentation Error?

To fix the error, simply use the same number of whitespaces for each line of code:

for i in range(10): print(i) print('--')

The general recommendation is to use four single whitespace characters ' ' for each indentation level. If you have nested indentation levels, this means that the second indentation level has 4+4=8 single whitespace characters:

for i in range(10): for j in range(10): print(i, j)

Mixing Tabs and Whitespace Characters Often Causes The Error

A common problem is also that the indentation seems to be consistent—while it really isn’t. The following code has one tab character in the first line and four empty whitespaces in the second line of the indented code block. They look the same but Python still throws the indentation error.

On first sight the indentation looks the same. However, if you go over the whitespaces before print(i), you see that it consists only of a single tabular character while the whitespaces before the print(j) statement consists of a number of empty spaces ' '.

Try It Yourself: Before I tell you what to do about it, try to fix the code yourself in our interactive Python shell:

Exercise: Fix the code in the interactive code shell to get rid of the error message.

Do you want to develop the skills of a well-rounded Python professional—while getting paid in the process? Become a Python freelancer and order your book Leaving the Rat Race with Python on Amazon (Kindle/Print)!

How to Fix The Indentation Error for All Times?

The source of the error is often the misuse of tabs and whitespace characters. In many code editors, you can set the tab character to a fixed number of whitespace characters. This way, you essentially never use the tabular character itself. For example, if you have the sublime text editor, the following quick tutorial will ensure that you never run in this error ever again:

Set Sublime Text to use tabs for indentation: View –> Indentation –> Convert Indentation to Tabs
Uncheck option Indent Using Spaces in the same sub-menu above.

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

Join the free webinar now!

The post Python IndentationError: unexpected indent (How to Fix This Stupid Bug) first appeared on Finxter.

Posted on October 9, 2020 by — Leave a comment

Yield Keyword in Python – A Simple Illustrated Guide

Introduction To yield In Python

While using a function, we generally use the return keyword to return a value computed by the function. Similarly, the yield keyword also returns a value from a function, but it also maintains the state of the local variables inside the function and when the function is reused in the program, the execution of the function begins from the state of the yield statement that was executed in the previous function call.

Example:

def counter(): x = 1 while x <= 5: yield x x += 1 for y in counter(): print(y)

Output:

To understand the usage of yield keyword, you have to understand what are:

Iterables
Generators

So let us discuss generators and Iterables before diving into the yield keyword.

Iterables

An iterable is an object in Python from which we can get an iterator. For example, when a list is created, all its items can be iterated one by one. Thus, reading the items of the list one by one is known as iteration while the list is iterable. In Python, string, lists, sets, tuples, and dictionaries are iterable containers from which we can get an iterator.

Example:

name = "FINXTER"
li = [1,2,3]
tup = (4,5,6)
s = {"A","B","C"}
d = {"a":100,"b":200,"c":300} print("\nIterating over String:")
for x in name: print(x, end=", ")
print("\nIterating over list:")
for x in li: print(x, end=" ")
print("\nIterating over tuple:")
for x in tup: print(x, end=" ")
print("\nIterating over set:")
for x in s: print(x, end=" ")
print("\nIterating over dictionary:")
for x in d: print(d[x], end=" ")

Output:

Iterating over String:
F, I, N, X, T, E, R, Iterating over list:
1 2 3 Iterating over tuple:
4 5 6 Iterating over set:
A C B Iterating over dictionary:
100 200 300

So we know, what is an iterable object. But what is an iterator?

❖ Iterator

Simply put, an iterator is any object that can be iterated upon. Iterators are implemented using loops.

Iterators implement the following methods which are known as iterator protocols:

__iter__() : returns the iterator object.
__next__() : allows us to perform operations and returns the next item in the sequence.

Let us have a look at the following program how we can iterate through an iterator in Python using the iterator protocol.

Example: Returning an iterator from a list(iterable) and printing each value one by one:

li = [1,2,3,4,5]
it = iter(li) print(next(it))
print(next(it))
print(next(it))
print(next(it))
print(next(it))

Output:

Now that brings us to the question, what’s the difference between an iterator and iterable?

Here’s a one-liner to answer that:

Every Iterator is an iterable, but every iterable is not an iterator.

For example, a list is an iterable but it is not an iterator. We can create an iterator from an iterable object using the iterable object as shown above.

❖ Creating Iterator Objects

As mentioned earlier, the __iter__() and __next__() methods have to be implemented in an object/class to make it an iterator.

Example: The following program demonstrates the creation of an iterator that returns a sequence of numbers starting from 100 and each iteration will increase the value by 100.

class IterObj: def __iter__(self): self.value = 100 return self def __next__(self): x = self.value self.value += 100 return x obj = IterObj()
it = iter(obj) print(next(it))
print(next(it))
print(next(it))

Output:

100
200
300

The above program will continue to print forever if you keep using the next() statements. There must be a way to stop the iteration to go on forever. This is where the StopIteration statement comes into use.

❖ StopIteration

Once the iteration is done for a specific number of times, we can define a terminating condition that raises an error once the desired number of iterations are over. This terminating condition is given by the StopIteration statement.

Example:

class IterObj: def __iter__(self): self.value = 100 return self def __next__(self): if self.value <= 500: x = self.value self.value += 100 return x else: raise StopIteration obj = IterObj()
it = iter(obj) for a in it: print(a)

Output:

Generators

While using iterators, we learned that we need to implement __iter__() and __next__() methods along and raise StopIteration to keep track of the number of the iterations. This can be quite lengthy and this is where generators come to our rescue. All the procedures that need to be followed while using iterators are automatically handled by generators.

Generators are simple functions used to create iterators and return an iterable set of items, one value at a time.

You can iterate over generators only once. Let us have a look at this in a program.

Example 1: Using an iterator to iterate over the values twice.

it = [x for x in range(6)]
print("Iterating over generator")
for i in it: print(i, end=", ")
print("\nIterating again!")
for j in it: print(j, end=", ")

Output:

Iterating over generator
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Iterating again!
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

Example 2: Using generator to iterate over values. ( The generator can be used only once, as shown in the output.)

gen = (x for x in range(6))
print("Iterating over generator")
for i in gen: print(i, end=", ")
print("\nTrying to Iterate over the generator again!")
for j in gen: print(j, end=", ")

Output:

Iterating over generator
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Trying to Iterate over the generator again!

Generators do not store all the values in the memory, instead, they generate the values on the fly. In the above example 2, the generator calculates and prints the value 0 and forgets it and then calculates and prints 1 and so on.

Now this brings us to our discussion on the yield keyword.

The yield Keyword

As mentioned earlier, yield is a keyword similar to the return keyword, but in case of yield the function returns a generator.

Example: The following uses a generator function that yields 7 random integers between 1 and 99.

from random import randint def game(): # returns 6 numbers between 1 and 50 for i in range(6): yield randint(1, 50) # returns a 7th number between 51 and 99 yield randint(51,99) for random_no in game(): print("Lucky Number : ", (random_no))

Output:

 Lucky Number : 12 Lucky Number : 12 Lucky Number : 47 Lucky Number : 36 Lucky Number : 28 Lucky Number : 25 Lucky Number : 55

In the above program the generator function game() generates 6 random integers between 1 and 50 by executing the yield statement one at a time and finally generates the 7th random number between 51 and 99 by executing the yield outside the loop.

Note: When the function is called, the code within the function body does not run. Instead, the function body simply returns the generator object, and then the code will continue from where it left off each time the for loop uses the generator. Tricky!!! Isn’t it?

Let us discuss the workflow to make things a little simple:

When the for loop is used for the first time, it calls the generator object created from the function. It runs the code in the function from the beginning until it hits yield.
Then it returns the first value in the loop.
Then each subsequent function call runs another iteration of the loop inside the function and returns the next value.
This continues until the generator is empty, that is when the function runs without an yield statement. This happens when the loop is exhausted or the if-else condition is no longer met.

Things To Remember:

Since yield stores the state of local variables, overhead of memory allocation is controlled.
This also ensures that the program control flow doesn’t start from the beginning all over again, thereby saving time.
However, time and memory optimization can make the code complex to grasp.

Comparing Time And Memory Optimization For Iterator Functions Vs Generators

Example 1: The program given below computes the time and memory usage while using a function with an iterator.

import time
import random
import os
import psutil mobile_name = ["iPhone 11", "iPhone XR", "iPhone 11 Pro Max"]
colors = ["red","black","grey"]
def mobile_list(ph): phones = [] for i in range(ph): phone = { 'name': random.choice(mobile_name), 'color': random.choice(colors) } colors.append(phone) return phones # Calculate time of processing
t1 = time.time()
cars = mobile_list(1000000)
t2 = time.time()
print('Took {} seconds'.format(t2-t1)) # Calculate Memory used
process = psutil.Process(os.getpid())
print('Memory used: ' + str(process.memory_info().rss/1000000))

output:

Took 14.238950252532959 seconds
Memory used: 267.157504

Example 2: The following program uses a generator with the yield statement instead of a function and then we calculate the memory and time used in this case.

import time
import random
import os
import psutil mobile_name = ["iPhone 11", "iPhone XR", "iPhone 11 Pro Max"]
colors = ["red","black","grey"]
def mobile_list(ph): for i in range(ph): phone = { 'name': random.choice(mobile_name), 'color': random.choice(colors) } yield phone # Calculate time of processing
t1 = time.time()
for car in mobile_list(1000000): pass
t2 = time.time()
print('Took {} seconds'.format(t2-t1)) # Calculate Memory used
process = psutil.Process(os.getpid())
print('Memory used: ' + str(process.memory_info().rss/1000000))

Output:

Took 7.272227048873901 seconds
Memory used: 15.663104

The above examples clearly depict the superiority of generators and yield keyword over normal functions with return keyword.

Disclaimer: You have to pip install psutil so that the code works in your machine. Further, the time and memory usage values returned will vary based on the specifications of the machine in use.

return Keyword vs yield Keyword

Before we conclude our discussion, let us finish what we started and discuss the difference between the yield and return statements in Python.

Conclusion

In this article we learned:

What are Iterables?
What are Iterators?
The difference between Iterables and Iterators.
Creating Iterator Objects.
The StopIteration statement.
What are Generators in Python?
The Yield Keyword.
Comparing Time And Memory Optimization For Iterator Functions Vs Generators.
The difference between return and yield keywords.

Here’s a small recap of the concepts that we learned in this article; please follow the slide show give below:

Please subscribe and stay tuned for more interesting articles!

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

Join the free webinar now!

The post Yield Keyword in Python – A Simple Illustrated Guide first appeared on Finxter.

Posted on October 8, 2020 by — Leave a comment

7 Binge-Worthy Freelance Developer Podcasts You Must Listen To

Clever business owners are never too busy to learn something new and improve their business continuously.

I know you are busy yourself but listening to a podcast while going for a walk can hardly be classified as a huge time investment. So, what are the best freelance developer podcasts on the planet?

This article compiles the 7 top podcasts for freelance developers—with a focus on podcasts that are likely to kick off some real improvements in your business!

As a freelance developer, you’re both a freelancer—that is, a business person—and a developer. In this list of 7 high-quality podcasts, we’ve given you some podcasts that teach either one or both.

Category	Podcast Link
Freelancing + Business + Web Development	#1 The Freelancer Podcast
Web Software Business	#2 CodePen Radio
Web Development + Coding	#3 How to Code Well
Remote Online Consultant Business	#4 Offline: Online Business for Consultants, Coders, and Freelancers
Coding	#5 CodeNewbie Podcast
Business + Productivity	#6 Smart Passive Income
Business + Productivity	#7 The Tim Ferriss Show

ALL LINKS IN THIS BLOG ARTICLE OPEN IN A NEW TAB!

Here’s a short overview of these podcast with a screenshot and an audio sample to help you decide which podcast to binge-listen first.

#1 The Freelancer Podcast

Freelancing and marketing nuggets for web developers, without the fluff.

Link: https://studywebdevelopment.com/podcast.html

#2 CodePen Radio

A podcast all about what it’s like running a small web software business. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Link: https://blog.codepen.io/radio/

#3 How to Code Well

Web development discussions and interviews from Peter Fisher. Covering JavaScript, Linux, Docker, PHP, Python, MYSQL, HTML and more

Link: https://howtocodewell.fm/

#4 Offline: Online Business for Consultants, Coders, and Freelancers

Build a 100% remote, online, and expertise-driven business. Hosted by Philip Morgan and Liston Witherill, we’ll share what’s working, what’s not, and what scared the sh** out of us, every single Friday. If you’re a consultant, software developer, professional services provider, coach, accountant, lawyer, or any other service provider, and you want to build your business online, this podcast is for you.

Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/offline-online-business-for-consultants-coders-freelancers/id1245485890

#5 CodeNewbie Podcast

Stories from people on their coding journey.

Link: https://www.codenewbie.org/podcast/

#6 Smart Passive Income

Our podcasts take you inside the minds and behind the scenes of successful entrepreneurs and their businesses.

Link: https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/listen/

#7 The Tim Ferriss Show

The #1 business podcast on all of Apple Podcasts, and it’s been ranked #1 out of 500,000+ podcasts on many occasions. It is the first business/interview podcast to pass 100,000,000 downloads, it has been selected as “Best of” Apple Podcasts for three years running, and readers of Fortune Magazine‘s Term Sheet recently selected The Tim Ferriss Show as their top business podcast. It has now surpassed 500M downloads.

Link: https://tim.blog/podcast/

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

Join the free webinar now!

The post 7 Binge-Worthy Freelance Developer Podcasts You Must Listen To first appeared on Finxter.

Posted on October 7, 2020 by — Leave a comment

Top 8 Freelance Developer Udemy Courses [No-BS Comparison]

Udemy provides a number of courses tailored towards freelance developing. Yet, the industry-leading freelance developer course that’s most comprehensive is the only course that guarantees success: the FINXTER Python Freelancer Course.

** JOIN FINXTER PYTHON FREELANCER COURSE **

If you want to find the best Python freelancer course, look no further. If you want to keep looking, let’s dive into the best Udemy freelancer courses!

All links open in a new tab.

#1 How to Thrive as a Freelance Developer?

What you’ll learn

How to Create Your Freelancing Side-Income
How to Increase Your Hourly Rate
How to Find More Clients
How to Scale Your Business
How to Add Passive to Your Active Income
How to Structure Your Time for Success
Where to Focus Your Energy
How to Thrive on Upwork
How to Thrive on Fiverr
What are the Best Freelancing Platforms

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/freelance-developer/

#2 Becoming a Freelance Web Developer – The Complete Guide

Learn actionable steps for launching a successful career as a freelance web developer from an experienced professional

What you’ll learn

The definitive skills needed to become a web developer
How find your very first clients
The right way to manage and charge clients
Key mistakes to avoid when dealing with your clients
The most important questions to ask a potential client before deciding whether or not to take the project
How I break down a web development project
The tools and applications I use for my web development business
The basics of making money as an affiliate marketer selling web products
and so much more

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/launch-and-grow-your-career-as-a-successful-web-developer/

#3 Start Your Freelancing Career as a Designer and Developer

Build a solid Freelancing career by avoiding Freelance mistakes and learn about creating perfect Proposals & Job letters

What you’ll learn:

Learn about Freelance Pricing Strategies
Become more productive in what you do
Build confidence in your work
Learn how to Deal with different types of clients
Which types of clients pay more and which clients to avoid
Use of Online project and design collaboration tools
Learn to use Invoicing and Payment apps
How to write effective job applications
How to craft professional Project Proposal
Cheats to bypass problems of Freelancing Websites

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/how-to-freelane-for-designers-developers/

#4 The Freelance Web Developer Course

Learn how to create top quality websites, monetize your work and become a top notch freelancer, all inside this course!

What you’ll learn:

Create top quality websites in no time and sell them to clients
Create fixed monthly revenue contracts with clients
Make your first freelancer contract in your first month
Learn Front-End Development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Bootstrap
Start your own freelancing online business
Start and improve your career as a top quality freelancer

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/the-freelance-developer-course/

#5 How to Start a Freelance Web Developer Business from Scratch

An online course for web designers & developers who are ready to start their business as a work-from-home freelancer

What you’ll learn:

Embrace the mindset of an entrepreneur (not an employee)
Workshop your freelance niche (should you specialize or generalize?)
Discover the biggest pains of your target client
How to solve a big problem with your services (not scratch an itch)
The specific skills required to succeed (and the one’s you should stop doing)
Craft an irresistible offer (that your client’s will love)
Gaining competitive edge in an oversaturated freelance market
Capture consistent leads that want to book you
How to always be marketing your business (without burning out)
How to land your first (or next) paid client
Build a clear strategy for continued success

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/start-freelancing/

#6 Freelance Bootcamp – The Comprehensive Guide to Freelancing

Learn how to build a profitable freelance business completely from scratch and gain the tools needed to succeed.

What you’ll learn:

Build a freelance business completely from scratch, including: acquiring clients, building a portfolio, and managing projects.

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/freelance-bootcamp-comprehensive-guide-to-freelancing/

#7 Seth Godin’s Freelancer Course

Become Remarkable, Find Better Clients, and Do Work That Matters

What you’ll learn:

Master how to make your work unique, create a well-known brand, find clients, and increase demand for your products or services
Understand what it takes to be more than the average freelancer
Turn professional and make a commitment to finding better clients and doing better work

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/seth-godin-freelancer-course/

#8 How to Dominate Freelancing on Upwork

Win the jobs you want, and earn big on freelance websites

What you’ll learn:

Account Setup
Your Profile
Key Success Factors
Your First Jobs
The Money: Earnings, Upwork fees
Picking the Right Jobs
Jobs to Avoid
Proposals
First Meeting
Presentation
Winning the Job
Starting Work
Success Rates
Next Level Success

Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/freelancing-jobs/

Summary

Here’s a quick summary of the best courses for freelance developers:

Do you want the most complete course on the market that guarantees your first gigs? Check out the FINXTER Python Freelancer Course!
Do you want a relaxed conversation with a freelance developer who’s already been there and done that? Check out the How to Thrive as a Freelance Developer Course on Udemy!
Do you want a general course about freelancing (not freelance developing)? Check out Seth Godin’s Freelancer Course!

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

Join the free webinar now!

The post Top 8 Freelance Developer Udemy Courses [No-BS Comparison] first appeared on Finxter.

Posted on October 6, 2020 by — Leave a comment

Top 8 Freelance Developer Forums and Communities

Freelance developing is snowballing—more and more coders decide to “work for themselves” and smash their well-compensated coding jobs in order to earn even higher rates as freelance developers.

What are the reasons for the double-digit growth rates of freelancing platforms? Many freelance developers name higher hourly rates, no commute time, no bosses, greater flexibility, more experience, and higher work satisfaction as some of the benefits compared to being an employed developer.

However, freelancing can be quite a lonely work environment… IF you don’t get active in forums and other communities with like-minded people. This article shows you the best freelance developer forums and communities.

#1 Finxter Freelance Developer Mastermind Group

The Python freelancer course from Finxter is the world’s most comprehensive learning resource for every ambitious person who wants to create their thriving coding business online. Is this you?

With the course comes access to a community of other freelance developers (Facebook Mastermind Group & upcoming Slack Community) with coders ranging from complete beginners to 20 years of experience in the freelancing industry. This is the best freelance developer forum for coders who seek help on every step of the way to reaching average freelancing skills with six-figure earning potential and beyond.

#2 Freelance Developer Reddit Community

Reddit is one of the first resources you can think of when searching for communities of like-minded people. There’s a subreddit for everyone. The best Reddit community for freelance developers is the /r/FreelanceDevelopers subred:

Here’s the link to the Reddit community for freelance developers: https://www.reddit.com/r/FreelanceDevelopers/

#3 Slack DevChat for Hackers

This supportive developer group is free to access and it contains roughly 20,000 people interested in coding. It’s not per se a freelancing group but for freelance developers, it’s definitely a great resource to ask questions and find support as you work on your coding projects for clients.

Here’s the link: DevChat – The Slack community for Hackers

#4 Quora Freelancing Tips and Hacks

The most active community on Quora regarding freelancing is the “Freelancing Tips and Hacks”.

Check out the new questions and answers: https://www.quora.com/topic/Freelancing-Tips-and-Hacks

I found quite some gems there. Here’s an interesting Quora thread I found:

You can click on the image to read the full answer.

#5 Upwork Community

Upwork is first and foremost a freelancing platform. But it’s also an active community of freelancers who communicate with each others. To participate in the discussion, you need an account—only passive reading can be done without an account. However, as a freelance developer, you do want to have an account on the leading freelance platform Upwork anyway, don’t you?

Here’s the link to the Upwork community (opens in a new tab): https://community.upwork.com/

#6 Freelancer.com Community

I don’t recommend Freelancer.com as a resource for finding gigs. Why? Because in recent years, the quality of the gigs suffered badly due to the flood of cheap labor competing away the monetary benefits of being a freelancer. However, the website contains solid information on freelancing and freelance developing. In fact, freelance developing has a very strong standing on the community platform.

Here’s the link to the Freelancer.com community: https://www.freelancer.com/community

#7 Talkfreelance

This forum is tailored towards web developers and web designers—so, it’s relevant to many freelance developers as well. However, you also find discussions about non-tech related freelancing topics such as marketing, legal help, sales, SEO, social media, etc. You can not only post questions and answers in the forum but also ask for gigs. A great forum for most freelance developers.

Looks kind of old-school, I know. Here’s the link to the Talkfreelance forum: http://www.talkfreelance.com/

#8 Home Business Forum

This community is for every person who’s starting a home-based business. As a freelancer, chances are that you are as well. However, the forum is also a bit broader covering all range of jobs that can be performed from home. Many topics cover essential topics such as business strategy, marketing, sales, tax, accounting. As a freelance developer, you must know these topics very well in order to thrive! With over 23,000 members and 7500 topics, the forum is not a small one either.

Here’s the link to Home Business Forum: http://www.homebusinessonline.com/forum/

I hope you found this collection useful—no go ahead and start your own freelancing adventure if you haven’t already!

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

Join the free webinar now!

The post Top 8 Freelance Developer Forums and Communities first appeared on Finxter.

Posted on October 5, 2020 by — Leave a comment

Freelance Developer Hourly Rate By Regions and Professions

What’s the hourly rate of a freelance developer? If you’re like me, you want to peek into the potential of a given profession before you commit years of your life to any profession like freelance developing.

The average freelance developer worldwide earns $56 per hour with conservative estimates ranging as low as $31 and aggressive estimates ranging as high as $82.

The following table compares the hourly rates of employed developers and freelance developers in different regions:

Job Description	Status	Region	Hourly Rate
Web Developer	Employee	US	$31.62
	Employee	UK	£19.29
	Freelancer	–	$34.78
PHP Developer	Employee	US	$46.28
	Employee	UK	£20.51
	Freelance	–	$50.90
.Net Developer	Employee	US	$55.06
	Employee	UK	£19.29
	Freelance	–	$60.56
Python Developer	Employee	US	$56.90
	Employee	UK	£29.79
	Freelance	–	$62.59

About the Data. Our data is based on various online sources such as indeed.com, neuvoo.co.uk, and other portals where professionals can report their earnings. We state the sources below in the image captions.

We modified the expected earnings of a freelancer by increasing the average earnings of an employed professional by 10%. This is based on the findings of this study: the average freelancer earns about 10% more than his employed counterpart. We found that in practice, the difference is often much higher than that—freelancers earning much more than employees. One of the reasons may be that freelancers have more control of their earnings—an ambitious freelancer tends to earn a higher percentage more than an ambitious employee in the same profession. This is because there are no caps in freelance earnings.

If you want to earn your full-time income working in your part-time freelancing business, check out our course “Become a Python Freelance Developer”.

Freelance Developer Hourly Rate US

The average hourly rate of an employed web developer is $31.62 per hour in the US. The average hourly rate of a freelance web developer is $34.78 in the US.

The average hourly rate of an employed Python developer is $56.90 per hour in the US. The average hourly rate of a freelance Python developer is $62.59 in the US.

The average hourly rate of an employed PHP developer is $46.28 per hour in the US. The average hourly rate of a freelance PHP developer is $50.90 in the US.

The average hourly rate of an employed .Net developer is $55.06 per hour in the US. The average hourly rate of a freelance .Net developer is $60.56 in the US.

The hourly rates in Canada are similar to the hourly rates in the US.

Freelance Developer Hourly Rate UK

The average hourly rate of an employed web developer is £19.29 per hour in the UK. The average hourly rate of a freelance web developer working remotely is £24.35 in the UK.

The average hourly rate of an employed Python developer is £29.79 per hour in the UK. The average hourly rate of a freelance Python developer working remotely is £48.21 in the UK.

The average hourly rate of an employed PHP developer is £20.51 per hour in the UK. The average hourly rate of a freelance PHP developer working remotely is £39.12 in the UK.

The average hourly rate of an employed .Net developer is £19.29 per hour in the UK. The average hourly rate of a freelance .Net developer working remotely is £46.68 in the UK.

For a freelance developer working in the UK, it’s usually the most profitable strategy to work remotely in the US and earn higher US salaries in the UK.

Freelance Developer Hourly Rate Germany

The hourly rate of a freelance developer in Germany is between 41€ and 83€ per hour. This is an average range that is valid for freelance web developers, Python developers, .Net developers, and PHP developers.

Freelance Developer Hourly Rate India

The hourly rate of a freelance developer in India is between $15 and $50 an hour on average. This depends on the particular skill sets—if you’re skilled in a specialized niche and have worked for more than 2-4 years as a freelance developer, you can usually land higher-paid gigs in the US and reach average freelance developer rates of $61-81 per hour.

Where to Go From Here?

Enough theory, let’s get some practice!

Practice projects is how you sharpen your saw in coding!

Do you want to become a code master by focusing on practical code projects that actually earn you money and solve problems for people?

Then become a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.

Join my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and watch how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.

Join the free webinar now!

The post Freelance Developer Hourly Rate By Regions and Professions first appeared on Finxter.

Posted on October 4, 2020 by — Leave a comment

[Formula] How Much to Charge for a Project? For Freelance Developers & Clients

Problem: How to estimate the price of a given code project as a freelancer and as a client?

Estimating the price of a freelance software project is a common problem for both freelance developers and clients. On freelancing platforms such as Upwork, clients must associate a realistic price to their freelance project. On freelancing platforms such as Fiverr, freelancers must find a reasonable price for the different gigs they offer. In any case, either freelancers or clients must set the right expectations, or negative ratings and disappointments are guaranteed. This is hardly a great business strategy.

So, how to estimate the price for a given software project?

In this tutorial, I’ll give you a simple step-by-step formula to determine the price. But take it with a grain of salt—finding the sweet spot is seldomly as simple as following a formula. Yet, I found that this formula helped many FINXTER freelancing professionals and course students.

You can watch me elaborate on these concepts in the following short YT video as you go over the article:

Here are the three steps summarized:

Step 1: Find Business Value B and Multiply It With Your Confidence C to Obtain Expected Business Value B * C.
Step 2: Adapt the Expected Business Value by Market Factors +/-50%.
Step 3: Price Negotiations and Modifications to Obtain Range between Freelancer’s and Client’s Estimates.

Let’s see what’s behind these steps in the remaining article.

Step 1: Find Your Expected Business Value

Many people tend to start with their hourly rates. Especially beginner freelancers fall into this trap. They’re used to getting paid by the hour as employees. But nothing can be further from the truth if you’re entering the business arena.

Rule: You are getting paid by the value you deliver and not by the number of hours you put in.

If you understand this one rule, you’ll thrive as a freelance developer. If you don’t understand it, you’ll struggle badly.

It’s often easier for clients to absorb this rule—which is why I recommend that every freelancer hires other freelancers from time to time.

As a client, you simply cannot pay more to a freelancer than he’s providing you with value. Even if you wanted—you couldn’t pay $10,000 for a website if the business value of this website is only $10 per month. Well, some clients will do it but it cannot be the foundation of a solid freelancing business. Clients and businesses think in terms of Return on Investment. They want to see tangible results or they won’t pay you adequately.

For you as a freelance developer, you need to figure out how to deliver huge business value in a very short time. If you can solve this one problem, you’ll become very, very rich.

Let’s dive into three project examples:

Project 1: Fix a bug of a web app where every day of downtime costs the company $100,000. In this case, the estimated business value is $100,000 if you think you can fix it quickly. You can charge $10,000 for a quick fix within a day and the company will gladly do it—even if it costs you only a few hours to do so.
Project 2: Write a web application selling services to 10,000 customers per month with an average customer lifetime value of $100. If you can be sure to deliver this with your web application, you could charge $1,000,000 for this app and the company would get their investment back within a month. However, you can never be sure so you need to add a significant margin of safety. Let’s charge them $50,000 for the reasonable probability of achieving this business outcome.
Project 3: Write a small Python script that scrapes data from a website and stores it in an Excel file. The client will save, say, 1h every week due to your script so 52h per year. Every saved hour is worth, say, $10 for the client. The business value is 52h * $10/h = $520 per year. If you charge $300 for the script, the client can justify it.

You see that you must use common sense to estimate the business value. It’s a highly imprecise measure but over time, you’ll develop a knack for it. In many cases, your intuition is just about right.

Note that the business value is completely independent of the time it took to finish the gig. Some clients may need 12 months to create the app for Project 2 which leads to a yearly income of $50,000 before taxes. Other clients may need only one month to create the same app which leads to a monthly income of $50,000. I’m not exaggerating—there are 10x differences, even 100x differences in the efficiency of which freelancers finish projects.

Action step: Find your starting point—the expected business value of the project. Multiply this number with a probability value that reflects how sure you are that the business value will happen in practice.

For example, the business value of your project may be $10,000 and it has a 50% success probability. The starting point of your estimation is $10,000 * 50% = $5,000. This is your expected business value.

Step 2: Adapt the Expected Business Value by Market Factors

The expected business value completely ignores the reality of the market and your specific skills. You need to incorporate this! However, you can never deviate too much from the expected business value because you’ll either become unprofitable or you won’t find clients on a fair-value exchange basis.

If you sell your skills far above expected business value, you’ll have too few clients and client acquisition will be a game of luck and hope. This
If you sell your skills far below expected business value, you’re likely to become unprofitable and clients will not appreciate your value.

Therefore, you adapt the expected business value only by +/-50% at most. You simply answer the following five questions to come up with your adaptation percentage.

Skill: Are you a highly skilled-specialist for this specific gig (+10%), average-skilled (+0%), or below-average (-10%)?
Communication: Do you show a positive mental attitude (+10%), a normal attitude (+0%), or a negative mental attitude (-10%)?
Experience: Have you finished many similar gigs (+10%), only a few (+0%), or none at all (-10%)?
Hourly Rate: Have you earned in previous gigs an hourly rate above the industry average (+10%), at average (+0%), or below-average (-10%)?
Speed: Can you guarantee faster than average delivery of the gig (+10%), normal (+0%), or slower than average delivery (-10%)?

These five factors are some of the most important when it comes to perceived value delivery. As a freelancer, you should be able to quickly estimate all of them. As a client, you must evaluate the freelancer regarding these factors.

Action step: Go throw all five factors and adapt your expected business value by the resulting percentage.

For example, the project with expected business value of $5,000 delivered by a freelancer who is highly skilled (+10%), very communicative (+10%), experienced (+10%), with a proven record of a high hourly rate(+10%), and promising fast delivery (+10%) can charge +50% more. The resulting gig estimate would be $7,500.

Step 3: Price Negotiations and Modifications

The resulting gig estimate from the previous step can be justified by both the client and the freelancer. Both will receive expected value if both agree on these factors. Be transparent and let the client or the freelancer on the other side know about your estimations and your assumptions. Show them this method and let them state their opinions. Together, you’ll quickly see which factors are likely to be substantially different than assumed. By being open minded and talking about these factors, you’ll become a better freelancer and a better client because you can adapt your perception of the market place to the reality.

Don’t be strict about the gig estimate but take it as a reasonable starting point. If you receive new data and new assumptions from the other party, incorporate them in this method to obtain a new estimate. The resulting estimate should be a win-win. The freelancer wins profitable business and the client realizes a profitable investment. This is the basis on which a healthy long-term business relationship can flourish.

Action step: Summarize your calculations and assumptions and share them with the other party. Ask them for their estimations. Find common ground.

For example, the project with an expected business value of $5,000 delivered by a freelancer who is highly skilled (+10%), very communicative (+10%), experienced (+10%), with a proven record of a high hourly rate(+10%), and promising fast delivery (+10%) can charge +50% more. The resulting gig estimate would be $7,500.

However, the client may not agree with these percentages and proposes an adaptation percentage of only +30% while the expected business value is only $4,000. Based on this, the client’s gig estimate would be $4,000 * 1.3 = $5,200. The true gig estimate will lie anywhere within [$5,200 and $7,500]. Be open-minded as a client and as a freelancer because a long-term healthy relationship is worth far more than tweaking out the best immediate gig estimate.

Where to Go From Here?

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The post [Formula] How Much to Charge for a Project? For Freelance Developers & Clients first appeared on Finxter.