Here is what developers should focus on in 2021
By: Murtaza Yurtsev
Tags: Salary, Income, Developer, Lessons Learned, Software Development

What really struck me in 2020 is the fact that our world is so fragile. Not only on a individual level but also as a whole civilisation. It’s an eye-opener to see how our infrastructures seem to fail and crumble down when unexpected disasters, pandemics and other crisises hit us.

It’s scary to even think of the consequences of losing your job because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially if your job, like me, is the only stream of income you have. A monthly salary by which you pay your mortgage, rent and/or other countless bills with. A monthly salary by which you provide food on the table and a roof above your head. Let’s be honest, this needs to change. Our conventional ways of living needs to change.

We hear it everyday in the news and in our neighbourhoods of people losing their jobs and companies going bankrupt. Once again I realised the importance of the idea of having more income streams. Clearly having more income streams is the best way to maintain financial stability, especially when there is a crisis. If you observe how companies and individuals survive, even thrive in times like this, you can safely conclude it’s because they managed to package their services into products or at least found a way to serve in multiple ways. And all things aside, if I may squeeze in a principle, one should be able to proceed with his or hers life when one income stream is cut off.

So from a developers perspective: How does one achieve this? Well, here are some idea’s worth exploring (I certainly will):

Start writing.

If you are an expert in your niche you should write about it! Start blogging and/or publish an ebook. You would be amazed of how many developers are earning money by writing on Medium and other similar platforms. Share your personal and professional journey, experiences and knowledge. Promote yourself and your work.

Sell digital products.

Sell templates, plugins, add-ons, frameworks, starter kits or complete solutions. You could offer your products by building a marketplace/products page or build a stand alone landingspage for it. It’s not surprising if people reach out to request custom features once they bought and used it.

Code snippets & playgrounds

If you are a web developer; share snippets on websites like Codepen, JSFiddle or more specific websites like Tailwindcomponents. Embed it in your blog posts and reference your digital products with it. It turns out to be a great promotion tool.

Start teaching.

Share your expertise and knowledge with other developers by providing courses and tutorials. You could use your own website and platforms like Youtube or Udemy. Never forget; our colleagues are also our potential clients. Developers and development agencies could reach out when they need a extra hand. Your content could convince them that you are well capable to help and solve their problem(s).

Consultation

If you are a senior developer, communicate with your network on Linkedin, through your blog posts or website that you are available for consultation. You are able to give expert advice on how to improve existing (web) applications, scripts, algorithms or development process in general. Tell or even show them how to solve business problems. If possible showcase some examples and make clear you were able to capture and translate project requirements into technical objectives.

Commercialise your side projects.

When your job is also your hobby, like me, you’re probably developing at home in your free time to. Always trying new stuff and experimenting. We developers tend to have our own opinion of how a certain application should run and where possible improvements may lie. We almost naturally analyse a (web) application when we come across one.

If you are like me you may have build (web) applications from scratch or build components that solve a specific user case. See if it brings something to the table, check if it extends or enhances a application for the better. Try to make it modular and applicable as a plugin or an add-on for instance. Weigh in the longer-term benefits of releasing it to the public. Even if it doesn’t gain much attention, at the very least, It’s a good way to promote yourself on the internet.

Speaking of side projects; check out my latest side project here. It’s funny how a annoyment quickly turns into a side project. You don’t need to look far or google for side projects. Many lie in close proximity, waiting for the next problem solver.

Realistic opportunities

Luckily, for us developers there are many more opportunities to build more income streams. Not just as an individual, but also as a team or a whole company. Because of this we developers should be the leading example and inspire other branches to pursue the same goal. Again, let’s be honest, conventional career paths are fading away.

The likely result of providing a wide range of products and services is that you probably will get more potential clients reaching out to you. If all goes well, you are not only generating money with your software development services, but also with writings, products, books, consultations and/or courses.

Reap the benefits

Imagine yourself having no worries at a job interview, confidently stating your terms. You are no longer pressured in accepting the terms they shove in front of you. Sadly, many of us accept unfavourable terms and salaries because we need the land the job as soon as possible to pay the bills. But with more income streams you don’t need to accept their terms, you have the option to walk away and focus on the next interview(s).

For me it’s not about making more and more money, it’s about being confident and to be able to stand firmly in life. To provide for yourself and for your family in difficult times. To keep the momentum of growth going. All my life my goal was not to be filthy rich, but to break free from the 9 to 5 system and to be self sufficient. To buy the things I want without worrying about the bills each month. I picture myself earning my living with a laptop on my lap while sitting on the couch, drinking Coffee in starbucks, in a hotel or at the desk in my own office. Thats my dream as a developer, and you know what, it’s realistic and most certainly not out of reach.