Different lifestyles of web developers

Most people think of any type of desk work as requiring employment at an established company in a corporate environment. While that can come with a web development job, several different types of roles exist, some of which include:

• Employee at a large ("FANG-like") company (as just mentioned)
• Employee at a small established company
• Employee at a startup
• Freelancer
• Product developer
• Semi-retired open-source developer

Working at a large FANG-like company

Older developers may wish to try their hand at a FANG company (i.e. something like Facebook, Amazon, Netflix or Google), or similar, as they prefer a more stable environment. Younger developers may seek a job at these places so that when they tell other people where they work, they get nods and wows. These places offer (very) high salaries and benefits, but often with higher expectations and greater restrictions.

New developers should steer clear of these places until they get more experience, in order not to suffer from burnout. (While I myself have never worked at a FANG company, they can be very difficult places judging from two interviews I have had!)

Any developer seeking work at a FANG company must know full well what they're getting into before accepting an offer. If the job and work environment does not fit their personality, the juice of a high salary perhaps isn't worth the squeeze of seven interviews, an onboarding of possible hazing, and years of mental occupational hazards.

One would be better off finding such fortune by digging for treasure!

Working at a small established company

Someone who has "learned enough web development to become employable" should first try this route. A "small established company" would mean a contractor or agency who has a large, (usually) non-technical client. The small company may hire developers, as well as designers and have their own management team. They would usually build a website and/or app for their large client, which could be a large department store or a well-known bank.

Decent small established companies have enough stability to offer developers a regular salary and benefits. More importantly, they allow junior developers to understand the full lifestyle of a developer beyond the computer work: meetings, team building, paperwork, etc.

The only disadvantage of going down this path maybe it "lacks glamour" for some people whose lives depend on playing the status game. However, for most, this is the sustainable paycheque and the path of least resistance.

After a year, or maybe a few years, the junior developer should see other options: work for a startup, work for a large company, become a one-person operation as a freelancer and so on. They may also stay at the same company in other roles and management. They may even remain a developer at the same company for their whole career because they enjoy that stability.

Working at a startup

If the developer likes to move on from the small established company (for whatever reason), they may choose to work at a startup. Perhaps this startup promises the allure of equity and profit-sharing. Perhaps this startup also promises the more senior developer now to work on more ambitious and/or glamorous projects.

Whatever the reason, the startup environment offers the more experienced developer now a chance to shine but also a chance to get into financial trouble. Startup devs can work long hours and odd days if they cannot meet their goals. With great possibilities come great responsibilities.

If the startup is new, the developer has to act fast and hit the ground running. There is little to no "onboarding" or "training". Everything feels more like a "trial and error" approach. Sink or swim!

If the startup is more established, the developer still has to do things there in earnest. Just as a website has "continuous improvement", their career in that startup has to have a "continuous proving of themselves". Since the startup may still have only a few employees, their presence in the team is more noticed.

Younger or more junior developers enjoy this environment because they like to feel they are a part of something. They also want to feel relevant, so this suits them.

Freelancing

Freelancers must become their own companies! Sure, they are their own boss but they must also do the work of at least four people. In addition to doing the web development, they have to handle:

• the accounting (even with QuickBooks)
• the marketing (they need clients)
• the quality assurance
• and much more

While freelancers set their own hours, they have to take care that the hours don't upset them!

Freelancing requires not only a very mature mindset but one of an organized multi-faceted personality. Only someone with financial and mental stability should try this path!

Product development

This requires that the developer slowly and steadily builds an app that turns into a "money-making machine", i.e. a source of dependable income. This could happen by convincing users to pay for access to the software or provide it for free with "in-app purchases" for added features.

A web developer may then not have to please corporate bosses or worry about questionable clients altogether, as the money just rolls in! However, the developer must take note not only to make their software secure but also their external affairs in order. These may come in the form of taxes, copyrights, trademarks, reputation and so on.

Semi-retired open-source development

Once a developer has had enough to "semi-retire", they may continue their craft via open source development. They will do this not for money but because they genuinely enjoy development. Money might come but that is not the driver. Their goal is not a higher standard of living for themselves, but to contribute to creating software that improves lives. Very few reach this sense of actualization with authenticity.