Ask HN: Did your client ever replace you by a more junior freelancer?

1 points by goingbananas 103 days ago | 2 comments

I got a client for 3 years and out of the blue they picked a more junior freelancer and did not renew my contract. The problem is that my code and architecure were really good there, so much so that adding new functionality was extremelly easy (due to the well architected code). The client most likely wanted a confirmation that my job could be done cheaper, and the easy to maintain and extend code I wrote made him think so. So I was dropped. In the end I was out of a gig for doing really excellent work. Any similar experiences or hints?

PS: I was the only developer and the client can't code, so they can't distinguish between a spaguetti and properly developed code. The client literally told me it was not due to performance. But that the work can be done by that other junior freelancer.

delaminator 103 days ago |

It happens all the time.

You should always be mindful that your role is to create something that someone junior can take over. And to grow your business so that junior is your employee.

You could have outsourced maintenance to that junior freelancer yourself and dropped your charges a bit.

That's how all businesses grow. The farmer eventually employs a farmhand, the storekeeper employs a shelf filler.

goingbananas 103 days ago | |

But I was hired as extended team (basically an employee, sprints, etc). Is not that I had any idea they were looking for a replacement in other companies (Accenture and the like...)