Is it worth it, when to quit, or what would you do - Need advice badly!

Hi all,

I hope this is the right board for this question. I need advice badly.

I've been doing web/application development for my employer for a couple of years now. The work I do is pretty challenging, creating and modifying ever changing modules and proccesses, integrating data from other formats and systems, using scripting languages, databases and some stand alone executables that work with the database. I've gained some excellent experience, learned how to work under extreme pressure at times, and learned how to deal with sometimes ridiculous changing requirments.

So I want to spread out and grab a couple of side jobs here and there, because I like what I do and I'm very good at it. The problem is I have no portfolio. The work I do is copyright by my company, and very confidental, so its not like I can show it to a prospective client.

So heres where the problem comes in. I come across a situation where I can barter a website in trade for some goods and an excellent reference for my portfolio. The requirments for the site aren't to difficult, just very time consuming. the website will be for a new business that hasn't been done this way, so many of the requirments will be decided on as we move forward and test things out. We agree that it will take 10-12 weeks to get running (I'm working on this part time, a couple of hours a few days a week), and then we can add lower priority stuff later.

Over time requirments have changed, rework needed to be done, many things get added to the pile because they need to be there to make this business plan function correctly.

While working with this person we've also have built somewhat of a friendship. And as things start taking up more time than I had planned on with all the changes and additions, I'm given an oppurtunity to collect as a partner when the business is out of the hole, and generating money, and be a permanent part doing the web stuff.

At the this point the nice to haves have somehow turned into priorities, along with all the other priorities, and I'm currently working more hours a day on this project than I do at my day job. And with all the changes that happen, I see no end. As this continues to gain momentum, its a full time job for me.

The barter item that I signed on to this project for, I can't have now do to reasons on my part, so I've been working hard, for months, for free. My barter item was essentially worth $250, and I've probably done at least $4,000 worth of work so far. I know its not lucritive for me, but I'm trying to make the sacrifice to get a reference for future opportunities.

Lately, some real jobs are starting to come my way. Not big ones like the one I'm working on, nothing as reference worthy as the one I'm working on, but jobs that have a little cash attached to them. I've also been asked to join another project with a good friend I've worked with in the past, a couple months done the road for money.

I've made verbal agreements with the customer on the current project about excepting piece of the whole pie as a partner, and enjoy the complexity of it, but as my time gets consumed, I've asked for a tiny bit of cash so I can continue on this and justify my time. I was denied. I was told that I'm not the only one working for free on this, and that to make this successful everyone has to contribute and be part of the team, blah, blah, blah. Actually the conversation that happened after I asked for money, somehow got me motivated again to continue on at this pace for a minute.

Now I have alot of time and code wrapped up in this, and since its live, I can't take it away or anything if I decide to quit. I'm not even really worried about the money, I just want a serious reference in my portfolio. So essentially, I can't leave if I want that reference, since someone else will jump on, it won't be all my work anymore, and I've wasted 5 months of my life on this. I also believe deep inside that this project will do well and its a good business plan, and if I stop working on it, I'll cut myself short and miss out on reaping the benefits.

People close to me have told me that I'm being taken advantage of, but on the other side of the coin, I know it takes alot of work to start something new. People also tell me that I'm being brainwashed into working for free by slick marketing techniques, but I have some some sense that the client is genuine. If I can get a residual income later on out this, that would very nice.

I'm exhuasted. This project needs 3 of me to get ahead, and I'm almost at my limit. There probably won't be any money my way for another 3-6 months. this is way more intense than my day job, which my exhaustion is starting to cause problems with. I barely have time for myself, I haven't done anything entertaining for months. But this little voice keeps telling me if I do quit, I'll miss out on something big.

What should I do? Picking up part time work for a portfolio reference is one thing, but this I cannot handle anymore for free. If money was comming in fine, but not for free. I guess I get alot of cool code out of it to use on something else I walk away. And I have expanded my abilities working on this.

Any opinions would be appreciated. How does everyone else get their feet out there?

If you want to get noticed then go to freelance coding sites where they ask people for jobs. Get good reviews there. Create your own site, start making scripts etc in your spare time that will not infringe your own official work in any way.

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