Can I earn $5000 in a month as a freelance full stack web developer?

This question was asked on Quora and I thought that this community could benefit

Yes, you can earn 5000 in a month as a freelance full stack web developer.

Fullstack web development means nothing in the business sense. What really matters is utilizing your skills as a fullstack developer to generate 5000 worth of value in a month.

It’s a great first step to have a solid goal that you can break down and better formulate a plan to achieve that goal.

For example, 5,000 a month could translate to:

  • 1,000 worth of value to 5 individuals.
  • 500 worth of value to 10 individuals.
  • 100 worth of value to 50 individuals.

In order to be successful as a freelance fullstack web developer, you need to start charging for the generated output and not charging for the input. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much time you put into it. What matters the most to people is the value that you provide them.

You are not an employee, where the employer pays you based on your input. You should not take that mindset into the freelancing world. The dynamic does not mesh very well. Charging hourly rewards terrible practices such as, working longer even if it is not the most effective way. From the client’s perspective, they want people that work quicker and cheaper because more hours means more money and it makes matters worse if you don’t even guarantee or give an estimate of the value added.

The best way to make alot of money as a freelance full stack web developer is by finding holes in the market and using your skills to fill in those gaps. Software development is all about solving problems. Once a problem is solved, the inherent nature of digital products makes the solution to those problems easily duplicated.