courage to quit: starting, growing and maintaining your ux business

Whitney Hess http://whitneyhess.com/blog

I’m the freshman

Whitney Hess user experience designer

Independent consultant based in NYC

Quit my full-time job to go indie in August 08

Why I quit

Greater control over my career

Wider variety of projects

Didn't fit into the corporate environment

How I started

Incorporated August ‘05, freelanced while full-time

Built a client base, from tactical to strategic projects

Learned about the realities from seasoned indies

Gathered template deliverables

Created a reserve fund

Creating success

3-4 clients at time for 2-week to 4-month projects

Work with major corporations (Hearst), start-ups (boxee), and agencies (Happy Cog)

5-10 hours a week on business development

Supplement consulting with speaking, writing and teaching

Facing challenges

Pricing structures

No design crits!

Being strategic about what's next

No structure or routine

Fear and anxiety are plentiful

Career