When to Walk Away from a Gig | Machine Learning Freelancer Series | 2019

TL;DR

The content discusses a freelance data scientist's experience with pay cuts and being asked to switch platforms, leading them to walk away from the project.

Transcript

welcome back everybody I am Phil Taber from neural net a I really quick if you haven't subscribed please go ahead hit the subscribe button hit the bell icon so you don't miss any updates when I release a new video I wanted to make a really quick video today on a recent experience I've had while freelancing at the end of last year I sign on to a gig... Read More

Key Insights

• 😀 Freelancers should be cautious when faced with pay cuts or changes in working conditions, as it might impact their motivation and productivity.
• 🤑 Clients may try to save money by cutting freelancer fees or changing platforms, which can create a sense of instability for the freelancer.
• 🥺 Taking pay cuts willingly as a freelancer can lead to feelings of regret or resentment, which may affect the overall quality of work.
• 😆 Freelancers have the freedom to choose their projects and can decide to walk away if they are not satisfied with the terms.
• 💚 Investing in quality equipment, like a green screen, can enhance the production quality of the content for freelancers.
• 👶 Freelancers should be prepared for a learning curve when venturing into new creative endeavors, such as video editing.
• ❓ Reinforcement learning may become a focus for the content creator now that they are back to freelancing.

Questions & Answers

Q: Can you explain the initial appeal of the freelance gig?

The freelance gig had a good team, interesting work, and paid well, making it an ideal opportunity for the data scientist.

Q: What were the red flags that arose during the project?

The first red flag was when the client decided to cut their hours. The second red flag was when the client asked them to switch platforms to avoid fees.

Q: Why did the data scientist willingly accept the pay cut?

With the promise of returning to data science work and an increase in pay after six weeks, the data scientist bought into the justification for the pay cut.

Q: Why did the data scientist ultimately decide to quit?

The pay cut and the difficulty in focusing on tasks due to their decision haunted the data scientist, leading to their decision to walk away from the project without giving prior notice.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The content creator had initially signed onto a well-paying, interesting freelance gig with a good team.

• The client later informed the data scientist and others that their hours would be reduced and they would have to switch platforms.

• The client justified the pay cut by claiming the role had shifted to software engineering, promising to increase it later, which led the data scientist to finally quit.