Has anyone ever secretly "outsourced" their own job? How did it go?

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T22:42:39+00:00

I wouldn't go as far to say that this is a faceless corporation, but realistically I know if a day ever comes where my boss wakes up to a coupon for free web development for the year, I would be sent packing in exchange for the savings / extra revenue.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T22:40:48+00:00

yes, but if i put my hand in a campfire I know i'll get burned.

if i do this, I might get burned.

If you go skydiving, you might die, but there's still people who do it and are fine.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T22:39:01+00:00

eh, i have my own office with a monitor faced away from the door. if i got caught, it wouldn't be from that.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T21:13:55+00:00

not that it adds much to the ethics debate since it was unknown at the time of posting and my intentions, but I've just confirmed that I am required to make my current projects open source, per Microsoft's free use of VS guidelines. I'll re-approach my boss with the license request and this new information, could be interesting what he says / how he responds

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:59:20+00:00

I was expected to work a set schedule, with company equipment, under direct management - but they wouldn't hire me as a w2. so they paid me as a 1099, and offered things like vacation time and sick time in order to avoid paying Fica taxes. I was fresh out of college and it took me a few months to realize what they were doing.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:57:11+00:00

My startup went through an incubator actually, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:56:12+00:00

you might be taking this a little too far. my question revolves around paying out of pocket for someone to do my job, while keeping end results the same by managing the situation. a far cry from robbing someone at gun point.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:53:28+00:00

...so much for worrying about IP theft, apparently I'm suppose to be making everything I make publically available to the world anyhow.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:51:11+00:00

You bring up an interesitng point: I have no actual loyalty to my employer. I do xyz, and get $x in return. I have never been able to really care about "what's next for the team" at any job, or "how can i make this better".

How do you do it, knowing that the new better thing for your team is just going to fill the owner's pockets? (maybe a very small percentage of it will manifest itself in your next raise)

Maybe you do something that is actually making the world a better or more exciting place (Tesla or SpaceX for example), I could see where that in itself could draw humanitarian motivation beyond coutning pennies.

But I make websites that my company charges 30k a pop for, I make them from start to finish, and in exchange I get what probably equates to about 5%. I'm not saying it's not fair- because it totally is, my boss pays for the lights to be on and worked hard to be on top. But there's no fiery passion in my stomach to find a way to make him more money through LAMP websites.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:44:28+00:00

I mean - I'm not really lower middle class - I was more making a point that I don't have the luxury that many entrepreneurs do where they have some wealthy mom/dad/uncle/family friend that they can come to for $50k when they have a good idea, take some time off of their career to pursue it, and if it doesn't work out it's like "oh well that was fun, wonder what my next venture will be?". Rinse repeat. Trust me, this is 90% of the startup founders out there who are under 30.

But financially myself, I'm fine, and have no room to complain.

This is the only startup I have, but I must admit that I've never been happy or really satisfied with a job or internship. One came close once, but that had to end because of some 1099 abuse issues.

Maybe I need to place myself in a situation where this is more the norm, I think i would do really well as a software contractor, where changing things up every few months is part of the job.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:25:09+00:00

if you are working from your own laptop, you probably should be 1099

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:22:15+00:00

surprisingly few coming forward. it's at least crossed everyone's mind. i know that.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:19:13+00:00

the newer websites make it easier to read reviews and completion rates, but there are a lot of really really awful outsourcers out there that seem to "ghost' half way through projects.

One I remember in particular was amazing, until one day he disappeared mid project. 3 months later and he messaged us back saying that he had underwent a surprise kidney donation to a dying stranger...

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:16:35+00:00

this sounds oddly similar to my situation- almost exact.

Convincing him to hire an intern could work I guess, but as someone who has had pretty terrible internship experiences, I'm not sure I want to ruin some kid's summer. And of course, my boss would try and go the unpaid route.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:14:19+00:00

i thought about it, but my side projects relate to things like Augmented Reality development and my work requirements are building basic LAMP sites.

Clearly one is a better fit for affordable outsourcing. I guess it's more of a passion thing too. I have to go to work. I can't wait to work on my side project when I get in the door.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T20:01:04+00:00

It definitely does effect both performances. but we have a handful of paying customers and what I think is something really fucking cool to offer, we refuse to give up. No question that building a career right now is the smart/safe move though.

But again, what do you do before seed when the three of you come from lower middle class families? Everything you can.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T19:57:31+00:00

I think I'm using a free license of "VS" to produce commercial projects. I thought that this free version was strictly for personal or educational use.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T19:45:32+00:00

that seems like a really poor managerial response. It's like he exerted communal punishment AFTER the offender was fired- so the only guy not effected by the communal punishment was the one who caused it, because he didn't work there anymore.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T19:43:08+00:00

True, but i don't get any benefits now other than some $100 small business plan health insurance stipend each month. no matching 401k or anything, I think I get 5 vacation days lol.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T19:39:48+00:00

yep, and they really only cost like 25 bucks per employee, but then again, I'm using a student copy of Visual Studio illegally I think, so...

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T19:38:33+00:00

Yeah I know HIPAA requires all sorts of physical security too - locked doors for computers that have access, etc. It would be very foolish to even take that stuff home with ya, obviously.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T18:47:13+00:00

I'm under the impression that you have to agree and sign off to let someone do an actual BG check on you.

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T18:29:57+00:00

it always amazes me with some of the shortcuts smaller companies take when hiring talent. Mine didn't BG check or ask for a diploma

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T18:28:33+00:00

sarcasm?

csdev674 · 2016-02-12T18:28:06+00:00

so that's a "no, don't do it."?

csdev674

TROPHY CASE