Marton "Meza" Meszaros

"Tech freelancers and contractors in the UK are being negatively impacted by IR35 reform and the US market offers more opportunity that the UK currently. This is why Gigged.AI announced that US companies can now hire UK freelancers on the Gigged.AI platform. This means US companies can tap into UK tech talent as a nearshore resource for skills like AI Engineering, UX Design and Data Science." New blog post on IR35 reform and how UK freelancers are being affected in the comments: #ir35 #ukopportunities

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These two founders of a FinTech start up were struggling to hire their final software developer.... This was a critical hire to help the development team execute on their road map for the coming months. But no success, and time was ticking. We were invited in after their current chosen agency had shared 8 (!!) candidate profiles, none of which had been successful. The result? 🏆 1 CV sent in total. ⏰ A 26 day turnaround from CV sent to offer (holidays and 4 stage process contributed to this) Here's how we saved them time and effort, but not necessarily money... → Understood how important it was to find the right culture fit. Someone who was ambitious, self motivated and proactive in problem solving. but could also hit the ground running. → Advised that whilst 4-5 years experience was, in their opinion, essential, someone with the right attitude at 2-3 years experience could also work (the developer hired had 2.5 years experience) → This wasn't going to be a financial move for a developer, so we took time to understand their vision, their mission and the culture they were trying to create, so we could sell this back to potential candidates. It's no surprise that we were more expensive than all the other agencies in the mix. But wouldn't you rather have full trust in agent for the sake of a few extra ££. Having faith that you will make that business critical hire so productivity can be increased where it matters - actually coding and building your product - is priceless. Here's what the software engineer had to say about working with me? 👇 Place.

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An interesting thing happened to me this weekend. I uploaded this video about a project I've been working on in my spare time and was subsequently notified of a similar service that is quite a bit ahead of me (theirs is recently active, launched on ProductHunt, has a userbase, some nice features, and a nice landing page). Now, did I build this project thinking that I stumbled upon some unique idea and that I'd be the first to do it? No. No idea is ever really unique. I built this for me, to solve my own problem, and to learn stuff along the way. Was I taken aback however, to discover that a team has already built a service like this and has recently launched whilst I'm still figuring out some bugs and trying to make mine look pretty? Yes. That experience is never not impactful 😅 Now, there exists a conundrum in that being in a space with many similar products is a good thing. It validates the idea and shows that there is a market for it. But, being in a space with similar competitors means there is an uphill battle to differentiate yourself and acquire market share. Especially when they are quite a few steps ahead of you. Ultimately, I built this project for myself to use, and I enjoy having full control of the code so that I can tweak it to my preference, and I shouldn't forget that. The plan was for me, not for the masses. And maybe as I go along I'll put together a bunch of cool features that the competitors don't have and my service will differentiate itself automagically. Not sure how me as a solo dev could compete on speed and quality with a team, but we go. It has been fun regardless, and a quick lesson in business and building. Everyone is trying to find that blue ocean, but if you're the only one in that blue ocean, it might just be a tarpit. And if the ocean is flooded, it will quickly turn red. #entrepreneur #businessdevelopment #coding #react #node #appdev #frontend #backend #startup #buildinpublic #startups #coder #entrepreneurship

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BREAKING: Freelancers Manifesto for Growth Launched today, ContractorCalculator is promoting 5 policies for the parties to consider: [1] Abolish Off-payroll IR35 Reforms [2] Ban Zero-RIGHTS Employment (not banning zero hours) [3] Establish a Taxpayer Bill of Rights [4] Champion the Self-Employed [5] Regulate Umbrella Companies The essence of 5 reforms is simply: Fair treatment for flexible workers and the self-employed. DOWNLOAD HERE: https://lnkd.in/eBhmHkFy #freelancers #generalelection

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5x #IR35 policies for Keir Starmer & Rishi Sunak to take onboard if they want the votes of 1.9m contractors. If you truly want to kick start the economy, support small business, want to increase tax revenues & stop billions leaving the UK economy, here is your chance to prove it #Contractors #Recruitment #Tech #Politics #UKEconomy

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Hello Tech-Work, 💻 It’s been a little while... the market does seem to be picking up and I thought it was about time for the next instalment of "Landing a Job 101" - welcome to episode 20  🤗 🙌 For those who aren't familiar with this little series of mine, each short video will contain a little tip/trick in it, and video by video I'll talk you through how to get the most out of the whole job application process - from preparing your profile to navigating an offer! 💫😁💡 In the last episode, I talked about perfecting those communication skills to ensure you nail those interviews. Even if you consider yourself to be an amazing communicator, I still think it’s worth going back for a quick watch to get a few reminders of the stuff you already know 📚 😉 In today’s episode, I’m taking on a topic that was recommended to me by Nandhini Sathyamurthy. We’re going to turn the tables on interviews and I’m going to give you tips and tricks on what questions to ask the people who are interviewing you! 👏 😎 Want to learn how to ensure you’re armed with all the information you need before accepting a role?? 😂 … Watch this episode to find out how! 🔑 🔐 I'm not sure what I'll be covering in the next video so let me know if you have any questions or topics you'd like answered in the comments below because I will keep the videos coming. 💡 Check out the rest of the videos in this series on my YouTube channel, here - https://lnkd.in/g_ZVtkEm 📹 📺 #LandingAJob101 #Questions #Recrutiment

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I'm thrilled to share fantastic feedback we've received from our potential partners. It highlights how Agilebase is making an impact SMEs Andy Garner is the co-founder of Elastic Mint, a Bristol-based software development consultancy. He raved about Agilebase. “Agilebase listened to us and never rushed us into doing things. They were responsive, looking for a long-term relationship, not just quick money. Their approach makes them perfect for SMEs," he said. Andy first encountered Agilebase at an AI event in Bristol. He said he found our training sessions helpful. He thinks SMEs can use Agilebase to transition from spreadsheets to powerful data-driven apps. “As a tool, Agilebase is powerful. It’s amazing for SMEs for whom bespoke software isn’t an option. But with Agilebase, it becomes an option,” Andy said. Simon Sleight, Director at Dixi Data, appraised Agilebase's sophisticated architecture and robust data management capabilities. “It’s more sophisticated than we expected, yet transparent to the user,” said Simon. He valued the support offered by Agilebase during initial implementations. He said Agilebase stays with you every step of the way. Both Andy and Simon appreciate Agilebase’s partnership-oriented approach. Agilebase focuses on long-term success and strong support. At Agilebase, we're proud to offer bespoke software within reach for SMEs and help them smoothly undergo digital transformation. #Agilebase #SMEs #DigitalTransformation #BespokeSoftware #NoCodePlatform #CustomerSuccess #PartnershipApproach #DataManagement https://lnkd.in/gmnn5WYa

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Hey all you amazing engineers - Check this out ⬇️⬇️⬇️ In a surprising twist, Jellyfish’s latest engineering management report has revealed some eye-opening trends in our tech world. A whopping 90% of engineers—from code wizards to DevOps believe their teams are key players in shaping business strategy. Yet, a staggering 66% of them have faced burnout in the past year. Talk about running on empty! 📉 But that's not all. Despite the recent waves of layoffs in tech, 60% of engineering managers and executives are waving red flags over a talent drought. They’re finding it tougher than ever to scoop up the qualified candidates they need. It seems like even the brightest minds need a bit of a recharge these days. 🌟💻 Check out the full scoop here! Jellyfish ThinkBIG https://lnkd.in/emrRBhDy

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MONEY SPENT ON PRODUCT TALENT = GREATER LEVELS OF OUTCOMES? I missed the ProductTank where David Cox spoke but have read his blog post on Mind The Product website on the same subject Organisations starving on a diet of low-hanging fruit (link to post in comments) It's really interesting and the crux of the article focuses on the idea of marginal gains and the concept doesn't really apply in Product Because people can waste too much time on marginal improvements in areas that don't have much of an impact The piece discusses the marginal gains culture at British Cycling that led to improves Medal hauls at major championships That yes, it was part of the story, but the biggest factor was increase financial investment Which ties into a question I posed a Product leader last week........ Regardless of the Product itself, the most successful Product teams: are they successful because they are paying the best, so attract the best leaders and the best talent? My reasoning was that the best leaders and the best talent ask the difficult questions, know how to say 'no' and recognise that commercial outcomes are fundamentally linked to every task that you are committing to sprint-to-sprint. As such, that Product talent develop better track records and command better money. It's a lot like Dave's British British Cycling analogy or a Football Team: those that spend the most on talent, achieve the better outcomes. Except Manchester United of course 😂 But thinking locally to the better paying firms that invest not only in good wage levels to attract & retain, but also in their wider culture. They think about how to refine their hiring processes to weed out the mediocre talent that is invariably attracted by the money, rather the broader opportunity. Those businesses tend to perform really well, even if they weren't the first Product of their type, to go to market Cheaping out on talent rarely ends in outstanding outcomes!

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Just got a chance to listen to Laura Tacho's talk from LeadDev London, "Measure for Change" covering why you need both qualitative and quantitative data when measuring #developerproductivity. When people measure developer productivity, it's often for the reason of reporting the measurements upstream to make someone above them happy, and to validate that they're doing their manager/director/VP job well. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲, but the improvements themselves must be made by the people doing the work, not those observing them. "We want teams to use data, not just view it. We can do that when we mix quantitative and qualitative data together, because what we don't want is numbers without context..." By involving teams in the measurement process, and giving data back to them, you can drive real change, as opposed to working from a metaphorical box in the sky to report to someone even further away from the work being done. https://lnkd.in/gvK3fX7H

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Market update; June 2024.   I’m still receiving DMs from developers either out of work or struggling to find something new.   Here’s a bit of a random dump from me, based on chats I’ve had with clients that might help. Definitely not all doom & gloom but I'm being honest also; - Applying to recession proof businesses; If you’re looking for a role, think about industries like health funds/insurance/utilities/superannuation etc; strong industries needed in our society that always have cash (usually). Whereas SAAS/product/Fintech seem to be trying to stay lean.. - CTOs; are telling me they have projects they need to kick off (platform re-architectures etc) but their CEOs aren’t giving them the budgets they need. It’s a case of doing their best with the team they have. This is another reason were seeing less roles advertised. - Doing more with less; There’s more pressure on senior & staff engineers to be able to demonstrate they have a solid understanding of tech but can also deliver at speed, meaning they have to focus on quality AND shipping, which in theory improves profit. Also with less hiring on-shore due to budget constraints, this means a leaner team, meaning existing teams have to deliver. - Junior engineers; To land roles, juniors need to show proactiveness and the ability to get things done. This would position them closer to the expectations of a mid which is what hiring managers want right now (theyre just not telling you). - Consultancies; A few businesses have reduced their local teams, to move to an outsourced model as they minimise perm headcount. This means these consulting businesses are busy and are hiring. So your Accentures/TCSs of the world could be good places to apply if you're looking? - New fin year; is approaching meaning new budgets & usually more roles. However this doesn’t mean from July 1 you’ll see a huge influx of roles posted. One CTO I chatted to has been given the same capex budget as he was for last year (not great). - Fully remote roles; becoming rarer. Most businesses require 2 days a week in office (some, not all). If remote is your jam, try to find work in startups/small businesses wheres theres flex (that said, I do know some corporates contradicting what they’re saying; letting some of their high performing contractors work interstate). - Ignore job boards; Roles are getting filled quickly due to so many candidates on the market & not even making it to the internet. Just because you don’t see a live role in a companies careers page, doesn’t mean they’re not hiring. If it’s a solid business, send them your details. - “I’m applying for roles and not hearing anything” and the likelihood is you never will unless selected for interview. Some companies will be getting 1000 applications a week for 1 role. They cant reply to everyone. Don’t take it personally. - The green banner debacle; it doesn’t make you look desperate. Stop worrying about it 😊 Hit me up if you need to chat; nick@tekfinder.com.au

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Our NEW Software Engineering Salary Guide (for Startups & Scaleups) is HERE! Lots and lots of movement to be discussed, so if you're hiring or thinking about hiring, you'll want to have a read or risk being completely left behind. Here are some key takeaways over the past 6 months: - Mid-Senior End salaries pushing ~$160K+Super! - Senior Eng salaries up by close to $30K - Staff Eng salaries up by $20K-$30K - 10-20% bonuses on top of increased bases are becoming far more common And perhaps most importantly, new ALL TIME HIGH salary levels for top performers across most experience levels in Australia! Like I said - this one is DEFINITELY worth a read! Link is in the comments below 👇🏻

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New Business Architecture Document Template Sean here from Klariti. Hard to believe it's almost May. This year is really shooting by. We're working on a series of business-related templates at the moment. If you're involved in the developing the business case for a new project or looking for funding for a new product, you might find this template useful. FAQs This template will help you answer the following questions: - Why do I need business architecture? - Who is responsible for business architecture? - What is an example of business architecture? - What is the aim of business architecture? Purpose Use this 27-page MS Word Business Architecture Document template to serve as a blueprint outlining the structure, components, relationships, and processes of your organization’s business architecture. This MS Word template provides a detailed understanding of how your business operates, its objectives, strategies, functions, and capabilities. Benefits The Business Architecture Document will help you with: Alignment: It aligns business strategy with operational capabilities to ensure that all components of your organization work towards achieving its goals. It helps stakeholders understand how various business elements contribute to overarching objectives. Communication: It helps facilitate communication among stakeholders, including executives, managers, employees, and external partners. It ensures everyone shares a common understanding of the organization’s structure, processes, and goals. Decision Making: It provides insights for decision-making processes. By presenting a holistic view of the business, it enables informed decision-making regarding resource allocation, process improvements, technology investments, and organizational changes. Change Management: The document helps manage organizational change by providing a baseline for assessing the impact of proposed changes. It identifies dependencies, potential risks, and areas where adjustments may be required to achieve desired outcomes. Continuous Improvement: It helps in identifying areas for optimization, streamlining processes, and enhancing efficiency. By understanding the current state of the business and its desired future state, stakeholders can identify opportunities for innovation and growth. Each section in the document contains sample text you can modify for your project. Download MS Word Template You can download the template here: https://lnkd.in/dkHceNAT Q - What templates are you looking for right now? Let me know and I'll add them to our Jira board. Cheers, Sean

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Why are you using #Go / #golang? Popularity with #Go / #Golang is going through the roof... particularly in the North West tech scene... but why? dcoded. we have been talking to a lot of #SoftwareEngineeringLeaders who are now utilising #Go as one of their primary programming languages within their Tech Stack. WHY? Well... the reasons tended to rhyme with: - Distribution and Compile capability - its quick! - Simplicity, Concurrency and Flexibility - so its easy... - Static Typing, and Code Formatting - its reliable & easy to maintain - The tech community loves it - lots of documentation and support available! - Backed by Google - its got real pedigree Hmmm... I am keen to hear the thoughts of other Software Engineering pro's on this. Why are you using #Go / #Golang?

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What do typewriters, dial-up internet and complex manual work have in common? That’s right… …They all belong in the past. And whilst we can’t promise the first two won’t come back, we can kill off lacklustre operations systems once and for all. Enate seamlessly adds a layer of AI over your existing workflows to orchestrate tedious tasks and give you clear visibility of your entire operation at the click of a button. Get with the times 👉 https://hubs.ly/Q02nVzqz0

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Tomorrow I’ll be hosting the first of a series of webinars to explain why the Flexible AI Upskilling Fund is for you 🫵 If you are a professional, based in the UK working for an SME, you may be eligible for up to £10k in grant funding to train your people in AI. In this webinar I'll cover: • What AI could do for your business • What is UK government's 'Flexible AI Upskilling Fund' • Eligibility and funding details • The application process & how to apply • How to select the right AI training I'll also be releasing exclusive content, to help you make a successful application. If you don’t think AI is for you, think again. You don’t need to be able to BUILD AI systems to USE AI systems. AI is for everybody and I’ll show you why. Register for the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/egTtwDuT

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#innovation and #technology is not just #software I mention this because over the past few weeks i have heard from quite a few people who are frustrated that #investment in #technology is often seen as just software (examples below) At ClimbUK we host a much broader range of #business and #investors and recignise the importance of founders learning from successful founders from across industries. That is why we built #climb24 to bring everyone together to share #knowledge and #experience that transcends industry or technology. But we also we also zones and dedicated workshops so we can still drill down on industy specific challenges and opportunities, and provide the ability to make networking much easier #climb24 has been built to focused on #business #growth and helping #founders connect with other founders, relevant investors and experts in their industry and ecosystems. The fornst works becuase the majority of learnings are not just sector or technology specific and we can learn alot from other communities CRSI and Investor Ladder we work with great technology that is #hardware #software #materials #chemicals #clothing #advancedmanufacturing #healthcare etc etc so we see technology and innovation in many forms. Tech Climbers hosted a great event in #sheffield. Glenn Fletcher made some very valid points about thebneed to #invest in innovation in #engineering and #manufacturing At a round table hosted by Louis Taylor from our headline partner British Business Bank and ScaleUp Institute it was reiterated that whilst the nunber of tech #scaleup businesses in the UK is growing we still see most in other sectors So #climb24 is for everyone Www.climb24.co.uk UBS VeUP Innovate UK Department for Business and Trade British Business Bank ScaleUp Institute West Yorkshire Combined Authority South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Innovation SuperNetwork Sure Valley Ventures YFM Equity Partners Beringea Balderton Capital

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(Success) Tales of a freelance developer... When you're off in bot-development land, building for a need only you saw and wanted to fill, you live in uncharted territory, where no amount of StackOverflowing can help you. APIs become your best friends, and you start scraping, storing, analyzing, reporting away. But inside you know, you are beholden to these APIs. So what happens when your core API starts sending out deprecation alerts Option 1 - use a new endpoint and lose a little functionality. Option 2 - seek out a new API that will cover your needs, edit the parsing logic to suit this one Bonus Option 3 - rethink your logic, and your tool, and build back better! I always try to start with option 2, and then see what happens. Last week, I got hit with such a deprecation. I could no longer send my daily alerts for the past 24-hour trading info to my users if I stayed with option 1. Option 2 led me to a more stable API (though that also didn't have the 24-hour change info), so I started with that and fixed my parsers. But then I realized that my 2 minute sleeps between calls were no longer needed because the new API has no serious CU limits. This is where option 3 shone through: Step 1 - Start getting trading info constantly, no more sleeping. Step 2 - Cue up MySQL and build out my own database for historical data with this constant stream of data. Step 3 - Send trading alerts with visuals hourly, with daily summaries. Now all easily pulled from the DB. This is how a lonely indie coder takes lemons and makes lemonade 😄

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