http://disqus.com/by/gexla/enFri, 25 Apr 2008 23:01:52 -0000http://www.knowing.net/PermaLink,guid,1d765e54-5007-487b-a689-882d62ae9fd4.aspx#comment-382193<p>I disagree that there should be a premium for developers from one region to the next. If there is a certain market price for a skill then a smart freelancer will charge that price regardless of location. The amount of money a person needs to make to get by is irrelevant. Just because you can get by on X hourly rate does not mean that is what you should charge. Maybe you do that when you first get started to establish a client base but eventually those rates go up to match your peers.</p><p>Some areas of development might be commodity, but if you are having a hard time finding a certain type of developer then that skill is not commodity. Freelancers need to be continously moving. Just as some areas are being commodotized, other areas are being newly opened and paying well for talent.</p><p>There are other areas of freelancing which are important besides raw development skills. These skills include things such as reliability and communication. As a business, branding and networking is also important. If you are a developer charging much less than your peers from X country for the same level of work, then you probably need to work on some of the above mentioned items.</p><p>In this case, perhaps the problem is simply that you get what you pay for (a $20 developer to do the work of someone at the $60 level.)</p>gexlaFri, 25 Apr 2008 23:01:52 -0000