what i learnt

i like to think i somewhat improved on my context switching. with the use of workana, and well separated task lists, plus project specific notes to refer to.
difference between client-only/focused architecture & server side firebase (admin-sdk) became clearer.
- Shaun even mentioned this in today’s backend sync
my initial estimate for how long the project would take was way way off.
when outsourcing work, you’re better off getting the entity you’re outsourcing to on a separate contract with your client. that way you’re not responsible for people management, or their deadlines etc.

what i liked

first production project with firebase!
had a place to write new features, in a time when most sigma work was chore like.
was cool to go end to end with a product. from initial chat, to user stories, research on architecture, then implementing.
- going from client vision, in an unfamiliar domain to me, to an application they were happy with, lovely feeling.
always fun to work with tailwind.
i had a healthy git workflow, good balance between working directly in main, and short lived feature branches.
client pays on time 🚀

felt like working two jobs, the cognitive load was a bitch.
- it meant putting in time early morning before work, or early evenings after work
- this has put me off freelance work for a while, i have earned the rest.
my rates were way lower than market - consolation for this is all the stuff i learnt along the way though.
- this may have been a result of my completely off estimate. as it was project & deliverable based pricing, as opposed to hourly billing.
noticeably less time for loved ones, as most of my free time was dedicated to side gig work.
having to do design was a pain. attempt at outsourcing it was unsuccessful & set me back an extra 2 weeks at least. it was then when i decided to roll up my sleeves & get into it.
I got really worn out about 2 months into the project, considering I had academic obligations too, my plate was filled to the brim.

work on personal projects or open source for the rest of the year, and possibly beyond - no need for client pressure.