I know I know, we’re in 2023 already. But I wanted to close out the weeknotes for 2022.
Working On Products For The Future
I’ve been writing about working on plans that position Cloudy Sky Software as not just a services-based business but also a product company. From mid-October till sometime in November I finally got a good stretch of time to put-down dedicated time (unpaid, of course! 😄) on one of the aforementioned plans. I developed two libraries that would allow one to create native Pulumi providers based on an OpenAPI spec. I will be announcing the first of the providers I’ve developed using those libraries on 1/17. I’ll cover that in a dedicated article in the blogs newsletter.
Having products under the CSS name has been on my wishlist ever since I registered the business name. While these won’t be premium products that one has to pay for. I believe it gets the name of the business out there and therefore should help me land more work in 2023.
Holidays And Sick Days
Unfortunately, during my PTO I became sick, like really sick – admitted-to-the-hospital sick. It was certainly scary. As I lay there in bed it got me thinking about the risks of being an independent engineer and the need for passive income, as well as a pretty good health insurance. The worst part was I got sick outside the US. So the costs came out of my own pocket. There was a lot of paperwork involved with my health insurance provider here in the US so I can add what had happened to my health history.
When I got back into the country, I didn’t want to get sick with the flu or COVID again so it meant I had to take it easy and stay indoors as much as possible, just so I can be productive and not miss out on work.
As a solo-preneur, it’s important to plan for and assume that you’ll fall sick. And when you are the product, no one s paying you while you are sick. It also means being a little bit cautious about risky activities while on vacation. It doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your favorite sport or activity but it’s important to choose carefully. There is no long-term disability insurance “included” with your employment to yourself. You have to buy it. I don’t have it and I am looking into it. I have no idea of what it would cost and if I could afford it honestly. These are all costs that you have to account for when you are pricing your rate with clients. Price it too high and you’ll get into a segment that can only attract larger companies that can afford to pay your rate. Finding a balance that works for you takes time. As you can see, my argument for a passive income is becoming stronger.
Client Work
Despite all that drama, I recovered after a week in the hospital and needed to continue my recovery at home. Lucky for me, it was literally a week before my work with a new Seattle-based startup was set to begin! I was able to work with two Seattle-based startups for a few weeks in November and December. For one of them I had done some work in early October and I was comfortable doing adhoc hours which worked out nicely for me in December as I was also doing some pro bono work during that month.
Pro Bono Tech Work During The Holidays
I was able to pick up some non-profit work with an organization based in the UK and dedicate the slow time during the Holiday Season to them so that I could keep myself busy. It was rewarding and I am continuing to work with them. I feel pretty happy that I am able to help out an organization that can’t afford to pay a developer to help build something for them. I’ve learned quite a lot while working with them and explored some new areas that I’ve been meaning to play with. But more on this in the first 2023 edition!