lessons from freelancing

My writing muscle has atrophied since ChatGPT. Honestly, I drew a blank trying to think of a cool introduction for this post—so, here is me trying to flex that muscle again.

I reflect on my freelancing journey ( as a Technical Writer & Software Engineer plus a little Graphic Design ). While I stand by the points I have made, I would however like to emphasize that these insights are purely anecdotal and highly opinionated.

If you are new to this blog, you might have to start from here https://blog.faddalibrahim.com/index.php/2021/06/10/lets-get-it-started/

(Sorry, I have a problem with hyperlinks — will fix them soon )

HOW IT STARTED?

In 2019 when I dabbled with photoshop, I did a couple of graphic design work and made in total a huge of sum of around GHC 150 (yeah, that was the richest I had ever been back then). It was around the same time I was into web development (HTML, CSS, Javascript and PHP). I built a small jewellery e-commerce dashboard for an acquaintance. The project was abandoned halfway as the client suddenly developed other plans. I made another huge sum of about GHC 200

2020 /2021 was dull — covid, few roadblocks and new responsibilities. However, I do remember making a friend’s website responsive for a token of GHC 120.

2022 marked a turning point. I wrote 2 technical articles for FixateIO’s sweetcode (californian-based writing agency) and made $300. First time touching some dollars so I felt on top of the world. I went reckless — spent the money on beer, clubbing and a private jet (Just kidding, but I spent most of it on food, especially Munchies Grill’s waffles)

Since then I have gone on to write/edit people’s technical write-ups and built micro web apps, most of which I don’t remember, in exchange for some notes.

It was after graduation I picked macro projects, and worked with major clients (foreign and local) from 2023 – 2024, some of whom I am still dealing with.

HOW TO GET CLIENTS?

EXPOSURE. Here are a few things I think really helped me

1. Being a techie on campus, mainly through being the GDSC – Ashesi lead.
2. Speaking at events.
3. My technical Blog (https://dev.faddalibrahim.com)

Through the aforementioned, I have had a lot of people reach out to me, recognized my skill and recommended me to others. Very Grateful!

So, Preparation + Exposure, then Opportunity. Share what you do, speak to people, be everywhere!

LESSONS

1. TIMELINES ARE FICTIONAL

They look great on paper, but in reality, they don’t really work. Occasionally I have productivity spurts where I blitz through tasks a third of the intended time. On some crazy days, I overestimate my capacity and cram a lot in little time, and back myself into a corner. It’s a gamble, but you will mostly make educated guesses often off by a margin.

2. ambiguity is a sexy maniac

While I love the dopamine hit that comes from trying to figure out things, the anxiety is equally intimidating. Unlike personal projects, where you have the luxury of time and infinite creative freedom, freelancing often demands clarity and quick decisions. Ambiguity forces you to adapt, to ask better questions, and to grow comfortable in the uncomfortable. It’s an invitation to sharpen your instincts and embrace growth in the chaos.

3. waterfall first, then agile (for software projects)

I like to move fast—to get things working, impress clients, and instill confidence. But I learned the hard way that moving fast without structure can backfire — spaghetti code, poor documentation and all the horrors of a failing software project.

Start with a solid foundation of extensive planning and design, then iterate and adapt. It’s not as flashy, but it’s the only way to build something robust.

CONCLUSION

So, here is to the late nights, missteps and small victories that make it all worthwhile. I love that I get to work on a wide spectrum of projects, which require me to learn new things and go down rabbit holes. I fidget and panic a little when I’m completely clueless on what I am dealing with, but I just know I will eventually figure it out. I mean, come on, it’s me 😹 😹– we all know I will definitely figure it out 😎