@hardflip

My take on this, from experience:

I became self-employed in 2024. My very first software project was against a well-known tech giant. I had no previous clients, no professional software experience — so on paper, I didn’t stand a chance. I didn’t even have a website for my business yet (and still don't, since the project takes up all my time at the moment).

Still, I went all in.

On a Friday, I met the business owner, toured the company, and saw how their current (end-of-life) system worked. He allowed me to take screenshots. On the way home, I called the vendor to confirm the end-of-support date — and even negotiated a possible six-month extension.

That evening, I mapped their core processes and spent the weekend preparing a short presentation with mockups. I proposed a replacement for their old tool and introduced three new ideas to improve workflow and reduce Excel overhead. That weekend was eat, sleep, work, repeat — up at the keyboard, eating whatever my wife put in front of me, and doing it again the next day.

By Monday, I sent them a report containing a brief process analysis, a SWOT report (including the vendor extension as risk mitigation), and a side-by-side comparison of five of the current system's most used screens and my mockups.

Within 24 hours, they requested a meeting.

They were impressed about the amount of work I'd put into it over the weekend, but were concerned about me being a “one-man band.” I told them, “You’re currently working with a big company leaving you stranded. If I ever go out of business, I’ll open-source the code and help transfer server support, so you’ll never lose access.” That sealed their trust.

A week later, after submitting a 30-page proposal, I had already invested over 100 unpaid hours — but the next day, I got the call: I’d won the project.

Beating a tech giant on my first pitch wasn’t just luck. It was effort, willingness to put in hours, and tailoring to the client — exactly what Jeffrey’s talking about.

While the competition talked about themselves, I focused on the client, understanding their needs and demonstrating my approach in real time.

I know this wasn’t a traditional job interview, but is it really that different?

It works for employment too. Once, I applied for a network administrator role that required Cisco certification. I knew I had sufficient networking skills, but didn’t have the certification. I emailed a motivational letter and called them immediately after. They invited me for a meeting. I showed them I had already started studying for the certification and I could answer technical questions confidently. They did ask why I already started certification without knowing if I had the job, and told me it would've been possible to get certified on company cost. I told them I viewed it as an investment in my own skillset and value on the job market. Long story short: I got the job. Because of that.

Most People Have No Clue How to Get a Programming Job